







I 




















* 


















\ 









( 

W S • • 'V Vv , v \ . 

v , v 


















































































































\ 








































% 































































































































































































% 




























































































. - . 











T II E 


MOTHERS OE THE BIBEE. 



WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY, 
B Y 

UEV. A. L. STONE. 

• o', 

fc ) 

D „ ^ 

»‘ALI. scripture is profitable.” 




BOSTON: 

J. E. TILTON AND COMPANY, 

161 Washington Street. 

18 5 9 . 




J 


i 





s 

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by 
J. E. TILTON & Co., 

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 


v 


♦ 


f % 

« • * 
ft 


v. 

PRINTED BT 

G^O, C. RAND Sc AVERY - . 


Stereotyped by 
HOBART & ROBBINS, 

New England Type and Stereotype Foundery, 
BOSTON. 


/ 


h. 


✓ 





► 


> 


W 


••THE heart that 

WE HATE LAIN NEAR BEFORE OUR BIRTH IS THE ONLY ONE THAT 
CAN NEVER FORGET THAT IT HAS LOVED US.'* 


2T 0 

M Y MOTHER* 

AS A 

8 L l G I JKEN OF THE ESTIMATION IN WIIICII I HOLD HER 

UNFORGETTING LOVE, 

5T1)is Volume 


IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED 












. 
























INTRODUCTION. 


BY BEY. A. L. STONE. 

Two immediate objects seem to have influenced the author 
of the following pages, in preparing them for the press : one, 
to prompt her readers to a diligent and careful study of the 
Bible; the other, to quicken, in those who sustain the mater¬ 
nal relation, a sense of their responsibility, and to inspire 
them with a more prayerful devotion to their solemn trust. 
The book itself is the offspring of this double parentage, 
— the habit of the daily study of the Scriptures, and the 
pressure of a mother’s duty. The richest recompense it can 
bring to the writer will be the knowledge that it has led 

o o 

other minds, trembling and fainting under that pressure, to 
seek light and guidance, strength and hope, in the teachings 
of the Holy Ghost. 

The wealth of the Scripture fulness in respect to any com¬ 
manding interest of life is, except to the earnest and laborious 
student, a mine of unknown riches. The careless reader, in 
lightly skimming the surface, may catch the sheen of here 
and there a gem, the glimmer of golden dust; but the rarer 
jewels of truth, the deep-chambered veining of the precious 
ore, are to such eyes hidden treasures. The thoughts of God, 
by which 1 he would make us, the pupils of his tuition, wise 
unto salvation, are not in their clear but profound depths so 
easily fathomed. Shutting up all this lore of spiritual things 
in one volume, our divine Teacher has meant us to search and 
master that one book with a patience and thoroughness of 
A* 


VI 


INTRODUCTION. 


acquisition beyond those of all other scholarship. If this 
book were a systematic treatise upon the topics comprehended 
within its broad horizon, like a volume of theological essays, 
the demand for this steady and keen-eyed investigation were 
possibly not so urgent. But the truths it contains are scat¬ 
tered along its pages, in seeming disorder and disconnection. 
Here stands a sublime doctrine; next comes an impassioned 
song; next, a prophet’s vision of the far future; then a page 
of history, or a chapter of biography, and then some earnest 
exhortation. The sweet voices of the bards, the seer’s mystic 
utterances, the confused shouts of the warriors, fall upon our 
ear in the same wave of sound. The Saviour himself taught 
no body of divinity in philosophic form. He spake and 
wrought as occasion prompted. The scenes of his wander¬ 
ings, the insulting question of some haughty scribe, the peti¬ 
tion of some poor sufferer for healing, or the death of one he 
loved, were the texts upon which his lips distilled wisdom. 
So we look for one doctrine in Galilee, for another at the 
well of Sychar, and for another in the desert. Out of the 
utterances of four thousand years we have to gather up the 
sublime whole of revelation. 

It is not strange, therefore, that we are commanded, by 
that word of intense significance, to search the Scriptures. 
This is, not to sit carelessly down, in the hurrying morning, 
and fling open a leaf anywhere, and glance the eye at speed 
along the lines of a short chapter, or the half of a long one. 
It is not to hang at late evening, with heavy eyelids, over a 
brief Psalm, satisfied that we have thus honored the word 
of God. 

“ Search,” as the gold-hunter for the glittering scales he 
covets; as the shepherd of the fold for a lamb straying in 
the wilderness; as the woman of the parable for her lost 
piece of silver. We are to study the Scriptures, portion by 


INTRODUCTION. 


VII 


portion, patiently, intently, •with commentaries and Bible 
dictionaries, and cyclopedias, and whatsoever helps we can 
command; and, first of all, and most of all, with wrestling 
prayer for divine illumination, as scholars of the Spirit. 

It will be one of the happiest influences of these sketches, 
as it has been their chief inspiration, if they awaken in any 
soul a new relish for the Book of books, and a fresh purpose 
to commune more intimately with its celestial voices. 

And for none were such an influence more precious and 
blessed, than for one sustaining the tender relation, and 
charged with the solemn responsibility, of a mother. As the 
joy of maternity is hers; as she bears and nurtures the new 
life waking to a deathless being ; asi its first pulses of vitality 
and consciousness beat next to her heart, and beneath her eye; 
as none can come, in the tenderness and closeness of this nat¬ 
ural tie, 'between her and her child ; so the earliest, nearest, 
and most determinate forces that mould the character of that 
young aspirant for immortality, are those she wields. They 
are shed silently as dews of night. Their author may be 
altogether unconscious, and purposeless in their administration. 
But none the less are they potent and controlling. The first 
sights those wondering eyes open upon, the first sounds that 
fall upon the ear, all the surroundings of the cradle and the 
nursery, leave images of themselves on that young brain never 
to be effaced, and shaping the first rudimental elements of 
character. 

How many unwritten histories, one day to be published, 
keep within their hidden volumes the memorial of these infi¬ 
nitesimal and subtle influences that have the first access to the 
heart, and inweave themselves with its earliest sentiments and 
passions! 

How needful that a relation, so linked with human destinies 
here and hereafter, should be instructed and furnished out of 

1 


VIII 


INTRODUCTION. 


the Divine Manual! — that all which is warning and all which 
is consoling in the historic examples which it records of such 
a relation, should press with its hopes and fears the maternal 
heart! What other light shines so clear to guide ? — what 
other wisdom can give safe responses when this momentous 
question exercises that heart ? “ For what end, and by ivhat 

•principles and methods, shall I train my child ? ” 

To awaken this question with unthinking spirits; to enter 
with quick and large sympathies into the solicitudes of every 
Christian mother; to gather into one picture gallery, from the 
wide ranges and scattered sketches of inspiration, the portrait¬ 
ures of those in the elder ages who wrought blessing or curs¬ 
ing in this one relation ; to lead all, who may gaze with inter¬ 
est upon the faint copies, to seek for themselves the presence 
of the originals, and so to help the sanctification of the homes 
of our land, is the mission on which this little volume is sent 
forth. 

With what simple beauty and pathos, with what careful 
fidelity to sacred history, and with what diligence of investi¬ 
gation, the author has accomplished her task, we may confi¬ 
dently leave her readers to testify. 

“ Hillside,” Roxbury. 




CONTENTS. 


The Bible,.5 

The Mothers of the Bible,.8 

Eve,.11 

Other Antediluvian Mothers,.22 

Sarah and Hagar,.31 

The Wife of Lot,.60 

Rebekaii,.65 

Leah and Rachel,.90 

Jochebed,.102 

The Mothers of Israel in Egypt,.110 

Zipporah,.120 

The Mothers of Israel at Horeb, . . . ..129 

The Widowed Mothers of Israel at Horeb,.137 

Naomi and Ruth,.146 

Hannah,. 156 

Ichabod’s Mother,.169 

The Mother of Samson,. 177 

Rizpah,.188 

Batiisheba,. 200 

Abigail,.211 























X 


CONTENTS. 


The Mother op Rehoboam,. .221 

The Mother op Abijah,. 233 

Jezebel,. 240 

Athaliah,.248 

The Widow op Zarephath,.261 

The Shunamite,.269 

The Mother of Job’s Children,.283 

Elizabeth,.290 

Mary,.296 

The Widow op Nain,.. . . 311 

The Syrophenician Mother,. 321 

The Grandmother and Mother of Timothy,.328 














THE 


MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


THE BIBLE. 

My Bible ! my precious, blessed Bible ! what 
were life without thee ? Guide of my otherwise 
w T andering feet, solace of all my cares! Only 
competent instructor of my ignorance — truest, 
safest counsellor in difficulty — most cheerful 
companion in hours of darkness ! Rich treasure- 
house, in which are stored the thoughts of my 
God, his purposes of mercy toward a ruined 
world ! Inexhaustible fountain of pure and sweet 
waters, from which I daily drink and am re¬ 
freshed ! 

“ With thee conversing I forget all time.” 
My dull, earthly spirit, quickened by the spirit 
divine which illumines thy pages, rises invigor¬ 
ated and gladdened from every fresh communion. 

q* 



6 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


With thee, I witness, delighted, creating wonders. 
I see earth, robed in beauty, spring from chaos at 
the Almighty mandate, and listen to the song of 
the morning stars. I converse with the first 
parents of our race amid their Eden joys, and 
shed tears of pity over the bitter and dark reverse. 
With Noah and his liberated family I rejoice, as 
the long-absent sun lights the mountain-top, and 
from the sacred altar goes up the incense of grat¬ 
itude to the God of winds and w T aves. I listen 
and admire while Abraham pleads, and Moses 
talks with God as a man talketh with his friend. 
For me the sweet psalmist of Israel pours- forth 
rich strains of heavenly melody, and the prophet 
thunders the threatenings of Jehovah upon his 
backsliding people. I follow down the long track 
of ages with eager step, beholding on every side 
the wonders God hath wrought, and singing ever, 
as I go, “ Praise ye the Lord! Praise him for 
his mighty acts! Happy is he that hath the 
God of Jacob for his help ! ’ ^ Folded and laid 
aside as a garment by his powerful hand, I see 
the fading glories of the old dispensation give 
place to simpler, but more delightful and signifi- 


THE BIBLE, 


7 


cant ceremonies. Touched by his finger, I see 
Judea’s pride, the joy of the whole earth, the 
city of her God, crumbling to dust; and on its 
ruins, built by Almighty power, there rises an 
edifice in comparison of which the former shall 
not be mentioned nor come into mind. 

But, 0, most precious of all the joys thou hast 
in store for those that love thee is the record of 
His life and death who is the believer’s portion, 
whom having not seen he loves, his refuge and 
hiding-place, the source of joy unspeakable to 
his soul. Here, indeed, I am fed with living 
bread. Again and again, with new wonder and 
love, I study the history of my Redeemer’s 
earthly sojourn. With intense and absorbing 
interest I ponder on his mysterious birth, his 
wonderful childhood, the cares and labors of his 
most sorrowful life, and the mighty agonies of 
his atoning death. 

There is no theme interesting to man of which 
thou canst not speak. Blest book of God ! Vain 
is it that I strive to show thy worth to me ! 


THE MOTHERS OE THE BIBLE. 

We propose, in the pages of this volume, tc 
record the results of an earnest and diligent study 
of the Bible with reference to this particular 
topic, and to gather together, in as interesting a 
manner as we may, such instruction and encour¬ 
agement as it will afford mothers in their import¬ 
ant work. 

Of all the mothers who have lived in our world, 
those who are mentioned in the Bible are the only 
ones of whom God has ever spoken. To millions 
upon millions he has given the care of children, 
and capabilities for their proper nurture. Many 
of them, doubtless, have been faithful mothers, 
whom he has blessed, whose prayers he has 
heard, whose children he has numbered among 
his jewels. But whether he has approved or 
censured we know not from his own mouth, and 
shall not know till the final day. Some have 
passed from earth ; and some still live, but their 
record is not here. In the Bible, liowever, there 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


9 


are the names of those concerning whom God has 
spoken. We do not know, until we give ourselves 
to the study, how many there are, nor how much is 
said of them. But, be it more or less, it will be 
deeply interesting and important. It will, per¬ 
haps, enable us to understand better how the 
heart of our heavenly Father is affected toward 
the mothers of the earth — with what feelings he 
regards them, as they toil on amid their cares and 
anxieties. It will bind us to him in new bonds. 
It will elevate our views. It will refine and 
purify our affections. It will make the relations 
we sustain appear more sacred and solemn in our 
eyes, as we shall see them taking hold on eternity. 
It will lead us to more earnest prayer — to more 
cheerful, hopeful efforts for the best welfare of 
our precious ones. It will endear to us the holy 
Scriptures, the invaluable communications of sov¬ 
ereign wisdom and love to us who are ignorant 
and erring. Let us cast aside the indifference 
which even Christians are prone to feel to this 
book of God, and come to the study of it as to a 
fresh fountain, and in the spirit of those who look 
eagerly for instruction to a wise and loved teacher 


10 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


To breathe thus a while, from time to time, the 
pure atmosphere of God’s presence, will give us 
new spiritual health and vigor. To become 
acquainted with his thoughts and opinions will 
greatly enrich our minds and hearts, and furnish 
us a more correct standard than we can possibly 
gain from the world, by which to measure all 
relations, and duties, and promised gain. 

We offer our earnest prayer, that he who 
inspired and dictated this volume will enable us 
to gain from it all the instruction which he 
intended it should convey. 


EYE. 


Perhaps no character of earthly history, if we 
‘except only our Lord Jesus Christ, gathers about 
itself so much of interest, calls forth such deep 
and varying emotions, or affords such important 
instruction, as does that of our first mother ; 
certainly in no other do we find such marked 
contrasts, such strange vicissitudes Here was 
indeed a checkered life. It could hardly be 
compared, like ours, to an ‘ 4 April day ; ” the 
clouds were too black and portentous, the sun - 
shine too brilliant. Not on her path shone “a 
little sun,” nor dropped “a little rain.” The 
effulgence of heaven and the driving tempest 
were fitter types. To her lips was presented a 
draught of pure, unalloyed, and perfect happi¬ 
ness. For a few brief days she tasted bliss com¬ 
plete. But the cup from which she drank through 
lingering centuries contained dregs of bitterest 
woe.. She listened, delighted, to the thrilling 
tones of nature’s harp, touched by Almighty skill, 


12 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


and tuned to nicest harmony; and on her ear 
grated the harsh and fearful discord, when the 
curious strings were shattered by her own dis¬ 
obedient hand. To her it was given to look upon 
life in its perfection, when the earth yielded her 
luxuriant fruits spontaneously; when flowers of * 
every hue and thornless roses blossomed about 
her path ; when animals of various names, obe¬ 
dient to man, and gentle in disposition, gambolled 
and frisked at her side, and there was none to 
molest or make afraid. And she gazed also, in 
sorrowful amaze, at the bitter contrast, when the 
ground, cursed for man's sake, brought forth 
thorns and thistles, and universal war raged 
among the tribes of the forest. She alone, of 
all her daughters, enjoyed in its completeness, 
unmarred and entire, true conjugal bliss. Fairest 
of them all in peVson, and most excellent in char¬ 
acter, she was most worthy of the love which she 
received from her husband, such love as no son 
of Adam has since been able to bestow. But 
even on this domestic happiness she saw the 
blighting mildew fall, and her path of life thence¬ 
forth, even when trodden by her husband’s side, 


EVE. 


13 


led often through dark, and wretched, and jarring 
scenes. Our mother Eve ! How has her name 
ever summoned the most conflicting emotions and 
thoughts, — approval and censure, admiration 
and contempt, blessing and cursing! Around 
her poetry has thrown all its enchantments, por¬ 
traying her beautiful and lovely beyond compare ; 
and on her devoted head have the maledictions of 
a race been showered, as on the most sinful of 
God’s creation. The stern and truth-telling 
oracles of God, neither charmed by poetry nor 
swayed by prejudice, present her to us, in one 
hour exalted, dignified, and holy, the fit com¬ 
panion of man in his best estate, worthy the 
society of angels, and even of God himself; in 
the next, fallen, weak and sinful, the victim 
of Satan’s artful wiles, an object of pity to all 
holy beings, and the wretched subject of divine 
displeasure. 


EVE AS A MOTHER. 

We might follow the contrasts presented in 
Eve’s history to any extent, or dwell upon the 
absorbing topics afforded by her state of primeval 
2 


14 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


innocence in Eden ; for it is there we best love to 
contemplate her.. Bat our design leads us else¬ 
where. We wish to study her character as a 
mother ; to look upon her in relation to her own 
immediate family, and gather such lessons as we 
may from the “ brief memorial’’ which the sacred 
writer has left on record concerning her. The 
picture is not a bright one. Guilt and fear have 
drawn the outline, and a violated law has hung 
the heavens with dark and threatening gloom. 
Yet it is not all dark. Despair has not been per¬ 
mitted to touch it with her death-dyed pencil. 
Hope shows here and there an opening in the 
clouds ; and Faith, best messenger from God to 
sinful men, has hung it where celestial rays stream 
brightly upon it, and insensibly draw the gazer’s 
thoughts upward to their source — to Him who 
in the midst of judgment still remembers mercy, 
and who would thus point erring creatures to a 
dwelling in his own abode of eternal light. 

It is no longer Paradise, but an earthly home, 
upon which we look. It was, without doubt, a 
rude and simple habitation wdiich Adam and Eve 
first Tenanted. Perhaps it was provided, as was 


EVE. 


15 


their first clothing, by the immediate care of God. 
However this may be, it served for shelter and 
repose, and was to them a home. From this spot 
Adam went daily forth to earn by the sweat of 
his brow their needed subsistence, leaving Eve to 
her lighter but not less necessary toil. Here, day 
after day, she pursued her avocations, and com 
muned with her own thoughts. Already had the 
dreaded curse commenced its work. Often sad 
and dispirited, weary, weak and suffering, filled 
with forebodings of the future, pressed by sore 
regret for the past, alarmed by unwonted distress 
in all her frame, she began to understand the 
meaning of those fearful words, “I will greatly 
multiply the sorrow of thy conception.’’ Added 
to this, with her, doubtless, ever abode a deep 
feeling of sinfulpess, a consciousness of innocence 
departed, a bitter remembrance of what she had 
been, and a humiliating sense of her altered 
character. The serenity of mind, the integrity 
of purpose, the purity of soul, were gone forever; 
and, worse than all, she knew, she felt, that her 
children would inherit, not her glory, but her 
sin and shame. Our deepest sympathies are 


16 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


called forth as we behold her thus. But even 
then all was not darkness in her soul. The same 
voice that pronounced the curse had also prom¬ 
ised deliverance from it, and that deliverance was 
to come to her as a mother. Expecting this. 
Eve probably looked forward to the birth of the 
first human child with such emotions as no mother 
has since experienced. 

At length the day came. “ She brought forth 
her first-born son.” We can imagine something 
of the joy and gratitude which followed her 
anguish, as with her husband she gazed upon the 
helpless being. A mother’s instincts taught her, 
all inexperienced and unaided as she was, to care 
for its wants and support its feebleness. How 
many exclamations of surprise and admiration 
and atfection were bestowed on this first infant, 
we do not know. The theme of many an earnest 
conversation, an object of ever-increasing interest, 
we feel that his coming brought new happiness to 
the sad hearts of his parents, and was to them a 
proof that God, though justly displeased, was still 
their friend, even as in their sinless days. Only 
one expression from his mother’s lips is recorded. 


EVE. 


17 


but that reveals a bidden world of thought: 4 £ I 
have gotten a man from the Lord.” Poor Eve ! 
how many experiences of hope deferred were yet 
to be her portion ! How bitter was to be her dis¬ 
appointment now ! The Lord had promised that 
her seed should bruise the serpent’s head, and she 
verily thought this had been he. 

Time passed on, and she was the mother of 
another son ; and we infer from the sacred narra¬ 
tive, though no direct mention is made of them, 
that daughters also graced this first human home. 
. Here we wish for more light. We long for some 
account of that family circle. We can hardly 
rest satisfied to know so little on a subject which 
interests us so deeply. We can, indeed, imagine 
them a bright and happy group, and picture to 
ourselves their probable circumstances. But we 
have a thousand questions to ask, and especially 
concerning their mother’s daily instructions and 
care. Exhaustless themes we know she had on 
which to dwell, and we are persuaded that she- 
lost no opportunity of impressing the lessons 
which she had learned by bitter experience. We 
seem to see their animated looks as she described 
2 * 


18 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


the beauty and glory of her Eden home ; and the 
awe which would steal over their young faces, as 
with sorrowing heart she told them of the sin of 
their parents, and of Jehovah’s displeasure, which 
banished them thence. We .can deem that they 
were never weary of listening to the oft-told but 
ever-wonderful tale. We can understand, too, 
that Adam and Eve both regarded with intense 
anxiety the unfolding minds and hearts of their 
children. To any true mother the development 
of character in her child is a source of deepest 
solicitude. But how earnestly must Eve have 
watched from day to day the working of that 
deadly poison which her own folly had infused ! 
What joy must have been hers when she saw 
a disposition to love and obey their Maker in 
any of her little flock! and we can well believe 
that, as she marked evil tempers and rebellious 
passions, 

“ Her smitten conscience felt as sharp a pain 
As if she fell from innocence again.” 

Over these scenes of daily life — over her 
hopes and fears," her cares and sorrows — the veil 


EVE. 


19 


of oblivion has fallen. We ask in vain concern¬ 
ing them all. We shall never know, until we 
meet our first mother in heaven, what we would 
most wish to learn. Through long, long cen¬ 
turies her life was lengthened out. She saw her 
loved and gentle Abel all ghastly in death, mur¬ 
dered by him who at his birth was to her the 
promised of the Lord, She saw many sons and 
daughters around her, and their descendants for 
nearly a thousand years. She saw the earth filled 
with violence and wickedness, and beheld her own 
children debased by idolatry, and wilfully ignorant 
of the God whose presence she and her husband 
had so often welcomed as their chiefest joy, the 
crowning delight of Paradise. Bitter proofs of 
Satan's malignant influence she saw on every 
side , but it was not permitted her to hail the 
Deliverer, for whom she still, without doubt, con¬ 
tinued to look until her eyes were dim, and her 
form was bowed with age. 

But the evening came to her, which sooner or 
later comes to all. The shadows of death fell 
upon her, and in some spot of earth she has a 
grave. When, or where, or how she died, we are 


20 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


not told, nor whether she departed in peace. But 
we receive the impression, we scarcely know how,, 
perhaps from her exclamation at the birth of 
Cain, that she died in the faith of a Redeemer. 
We feel, as we have said, that he was her life¬ 
long hope, and we expect to meet her in that 
higher and more delightful Paradise, whose joys 
have long since compensated her for the sorrows 
of earth. 

We have but briefly and faintly shadowed forth 
some of the thoughts which suggest themselves 
as we study the history of Eve'. One lesson we 
would gather, and our labor shall not then be 
vain. We would learn from her to estimate the 
true value of the favor of God. That favor she 
once enjoyed. In the eyes of the infinite Jeho¬ 
vah she was sinless and pure, and beneath his 
smile her days were passed. Bright days they 
were, of unmingled bliss. IIow wretched and 
heart-sick must she have been when thd smile 
was withdrawn, and her disobedience had brought 
in its stead a frown of displeasure! We who have 
lived from our infancy in the cold atmosphere of 
a revolted world, amid griefs, and pains, and 


EVE. 


21 


death, and who ever look upon second causes, 
can understand little of the connection which 
Eve saw between transgression and its conse¬ 
quences. To her, the approbation of God was 
only another name for all her joy in Eden, and 
his displeasure was the immediate source of every 
sorrow she endured. Let us endeavor ourselves 
to appreciate this truth more fully than w T e have 
ever done, and teach it in all its extent to our 
children. “His favor is life; his loving-kind¬ 
ness is better than life.” 


OTHER ANTEDILUVIAN MOTHERS. 


It may be deemed irrelevant to our subject, 
and perhaps useless, to dwell even for a moment 
on the antediluvian history of the world, or upon 
the period between the flood and the call of Abra¬ 
ham, since during that long period there is nc 
history of the life of any mother, and scarcely is 
the name of one mentioned. Yet we know that 
the human race multiplied fast; that there were 
thousands of mothers then living ; and we may 
possibly gather something of interest concerning 
them, if we study closely. Be this as it may, it 
is necessary that we gain some distinct and accu¬ 
rate knowledge of the condition and habits of 
men at that remote era, in order that we may 
more fully comprehend the character and mission 
of those mothers who will occupy our future 
attention. 

The first mother mentioned after Eve is the 
wife of Cain. Little, indeed, is said of her ; we 


OTHER ANTEDILUVIAN MOTHERS. 


23 


do not even know her name; but we learn enough 
to enlist for her our sympathies, and induce our 
esteem. She was the daughter of Adam and 
Eve, the sister of Cain and Abel. Many years 
of her life were probably passed in the pleasant 
companionship of parents and brothers and sis¬ 
ters, and in comparative happiness. But a dark 
and bitter day came — a wretched day. Abel, 
the gentle and beloved, is murdered; and Cain, 
the son, the husband, the brother, the most im¬ 
portant member of the little circle, is guilty of 
his blood, and henceforth a fugitive and wanderer, 
cursed of God, and feared by all who once loved 
him. He goes forth from home and friends, but 
he goes not alone. By his side is found the wife 
of his youth, self-exiled for his sake. A happy 
wife she is not — that were impossible ; but a 
faithful wife and true, since she leaves all that 
she holds dear besides, and clings to him. To 
the east of Eden they take their way, and com¬ 
mence their life anew in the land of Nod. But 
even upon Cain, the outcast and the murderer, 
there are shed the blessings and bounty of Heav¬ 
en. In those far-distant days it could be said, 


24 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


as now, “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil 
and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the 
just and on the unjust.’’ They were not long 
alone ; an infant is horn, to cheer and hallow, 
with its helplessness and seeming innocence, 
their humble dwelling; and the name they give 
it—Enoch, the consectated — seems to indicate 
some repentance in the father’s heart, some desire 
to return to the worship and love of God. 
Whether.this be true or not, we learn from his 
name, and from the fact that a city was built in 
his honor, that he was a beloved child; we 
catch some glimpse of the mother’s joy and the 
father’s pride ; we learn enough to link us, by 
the bond of human sympathy and kindred feel¬ 
ing, to that second of earth’s mothers. We pity 
her sorrows ; we honor her for her faithful devotion 
to her husband ; we rejoice with her in the birth 
of her child. Two lines in the sacred volume 
contain all that is recorded of her, but they were 
not written in vain. 

After the birth of Enoch, the saGred history 
proceeds rapidly. The descendants of Cain be¬ 
come numerous, and build cities, or hamlets, as 


OTHER ANTEDILUVIAN MOTHERS. 


25 


they might more properly be called; they invent 
useful arts; they cultivate the soil, and the 
blessings and evils incident to the communities 
of earth are found among them. After several 
generations, Adah and Zillah, wives of Lamech, 
are mentioned, and we are led to contemplate 
them as representatives of a class of which we, 
in these better days, know little. We cannot 
think of them pleasantly. We do not understand 
how they could share that most sacred of all treas¬ 
ures to a woman, her place in her husband’s 
heart. We think they could not have been hap¬ 
py ; we are sure they must have had fearful 
temptations. In their family circle imagination 
almost fears to linger; we look for scenes of 
discord, and we are sure that polygamy, though 
permitted, was never a part of the divine plan. 
And yet Adah and Zillah were mothers, and they 
had sons who were distinguished in their gene¬ 
ration, and are remembered still as the inventors 
of useful and delightful arts; and we can im¬ 
agine the deep interest with which the efforts of 
industry and ingenuity were watched from day 
to day, and the approbation and joy which 
3 


26 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


crowned their success. There music first sent 
forth her harmonies; there the first tent was 
spread ; there first instruments of brass and iron 
were used ; there, according to the ancient Rab¬ 
bins, the wheel first hummed its monotonous tune 
under woman's busy hands ; and, as if to crown 
these family honors, the first recorded poetry 
falls from the lips of Lamech himself. They 
were no ordinary family. Would that the hallow¬ 
ing influence of the worship of God had com¬ 
pleted the picture ! 

Time rolled on, and with it brought such 
developments of human character and tendencies 
as caused even the Creator himself, in the strong 
language of inspiration, to repent that he had 
'made man. For years the community which were 
gathered about Adam and Seth kept themselves 
distinct from Cain’s posterity, and retained in its 
purity the worship of the true God. But at 
length- they commingled, and gradually almost 
every trace even of the knowledge of Jehovah 
vanished from the earth. Universal atheism 
or idolatry prevailed ; universal sensuality de¬ 
based the race. “ All flesh corrupted his way.” 


OTHER ANTEDILUVIAN MOTHERS. 


27 


In the full belief that existence terminated at 
death, the sacredness of human life was disre¬ 
garded, and murder stalked forth unmasked and 
fearless. “ The earth was filled with violence.” 

A few exceptions there were. A few patri¬ 
archal saints lived many years to mourn over and 
rebuke the wickedness of their descendants, and 
to testify to them of the existence and goodness 
of the Creator. To these, from time to time, he 
revealed himself, and gave them instruction and 
encouragement. But, one after another, these' 
monitors, hoary, not with years, but with the 
weight of centuries, sank to their graves, and 
with their departing spirits fled the last hope for 
the wretched race of man. In vain had Adam 
for nearly a thousand years remained as a witness 
for the truth relating to the mighty wonders of 
creating wisdom. In vain had Enoch walked 
with God, and been borne up before their eyes, 
untouched by death, to convince them of a high¬ 
er and holier existence. In vain had the Al¬ 
mighty so ordered the length of man’s life that 
the long chain of evidence from Adam to Noah 
had but one connecting link, Methuselah having 


28 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


many years conversed with both. In vain did 
Noah go daily forth one hundred and twenty 
years to his work upon the ark, manifesting his 
faith in God's commands, and warning them 
against the coming evil day. They were com¬ 
pletely hardened. “ They ate and drank, they 
were marrying and giving in marriage, until the 
day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood 
came and destroyed them all.” 

The morning on which Noah uncovered the 
ark, and looked abroad upon nature rejoicing in 
the recovered sunlight, saw no vestige of the 
multitudes who had once inhabited the earth. 
One experiment had been tried. The race is 
now to commence again. Noah was an obedient 
servant of God, and had instructed his children 
to follow his steps. The first act of the liberated 
family was to gather about the altar of sacrifice. 
Will the spirit of piety keep pace with the mul¬ 
tiplying thousands of men ? Alas ! alas ! how 
■quickly is it proved that there is no inherent ex¬ 
cellence in human nature ! How surely is it of 
the “ earth, earthy,” and all its tendencies down¬ 
ward ! How true is it, also, that, thus degraded 


OTHER ANTEDILUVIAN MOTHERS. 


29 


and debased, it has no power of self-elevation or 
purification! A few short years sufficed to show 
this in the case of Noah’s descendants. They 
scattered abroad ; they built mighty cities ; they 
cultivated the arts, and increased in knowledge 
wonderfully ; but in moral excellence they sunk 
with rapid fall to the lowest point. Probably we 
have no conception of the extent and utter folly 
of the idolatry which prevailed immediately be¬ 
fore the birth of Abraham. Lords many and 
gods innumerable had dominion over the tribes of 
men, — the hosts of heaven, the beasts of 
forest and field, the fowls of the air, reptiles, 
inanimate things, and graven images, to all of 
whom were ascribed a character wholly polluted 
and immeasurably vile. The existence of the 
true and living God was wholly unknown, save 
to a few scattered individuals. The idea of a 
pure and holy being was not only lost, but all 
power of appreciating such a character had also 
been destroyed, by the habitual indwelling of cor¬ 
rupting thoughts, and the constant expression and 
manifestation of sensual emotions. Already was 
the earth prepared for another flood. But God 


30 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


had determined not thus again to destroy the 
work of his hands. Another plan will he devised; 
these sunken creatures he will elevate ; this 
ruined race he will redeem. 

Our future study will unfold this plan of 
mighty grace, as we see what part in its execu¬ 
tion was allotted to the mothers whose names are 
mentioned in the progress of its accomplishment. 


SARAH AND IIAGAR. 

In pursuance of the plan which he had devised 
for the redemption of the race of man, God 
appeared to Abraham, the son of Terah, in a 
city called Ur, in Chaldea, and directed him to 
leave his country, and dwell in the land of 
Canaan. Among the nations, perhaps the Chal- V 
deans had departed less from the simplicity of a 
true faith and worship than many others ; but 
they were still idolaters, and Ur, as appears from 
recent discoveries, w r as their sacred city. It is 
not necessary that w r e should dwell upon the 
familiar details of Abraham's separation from his 
country and kindred. Suffice it, that the object 
of his being thus separated by God was, that 
through his faith and obedience, through his in¬ 
structions to his family, and through the seed after¬ 
ward promised, the knowledge and worship of the 
only true God should be gradually disseminated. 

Abraham obeyed the command of Jehovah, and 
was accompanied in his wanderings by the wife 


32 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


of his youth ; henceforth the partner of his exile, 
and a helpmeet in his cares. They had spent 
hardly a year in Canaan, when a famine compelled 
them to repair to Egypt, where they remained 
three months. Sarah was a very beautiful woman, 
and Abraham knew that she w T ould be peculiarly 
attractive to the Egyptians, because so much 
more fair than their swarthy countrywomen ; and 
the account of his deception in calling her his 
sister, with the consequent trouble, stands on the 
sacred page, a beacon against the folly of distrust¬ 
ing God, and resorting to prevarication. The 
beauty of the fair Chaldean was soon in every 
mouth, and Sarah was taken from her supposed 
brother to the king’s household, to go through the 
preliminary ceremonies and purifications which 
were requisite to her becoming his wife, and which 
usually occupied about a month. What Abraham 
suffered during this interval, and what were her 
own trials, we can only imagine. Nothing is said 
of the prayers which the patriarch must have 
offered to God ; nothing re-corded of the anguish 
and tears of the wife, who had taken, as she 
believed, a final leave of her husband, and was 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


33 


destined to the honor of being a favorite of 
Egypt's monarch. The trial was severe. God, 
however, interposed to save them from their fears. 
His judgments caused Pharaoh to inquire into the 
truth, and to restore Sarah before the month of 
preparation was ended. He dismissed them from 
his dominions without injury, but not without 
severe rebuke, and they returned to Canaan. 

Ten years passed away, during which time 
Sarah's name is not mentioned. They had no 
children, but it must not be inferred that, because 
she had not a mother's cares, she was therefore 
unoccupied. It is recorded that at one time 
Abraham went out to fight against the Assyrian 
king with more than three hundred trained ser- 
vants. These were all born in his house, the 
sacred writer informs us, and were capable of 
bearing arms. If we add to these those who must 
have remained in charge of the flocks and herds,, 
and the women and children, we may, perhaps,, 
form some idea of the family over which Sarah- 
presided as mistress. The phrase “ trained ser¬ 
vants" signifies catechised, or instructed. We* 
know that wherever Abraham pitched his tent, as 


34 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


he removed from place to place, he erected an 
altar, and in the midst of his assembled family 
offered sacrifices to God. “I know him,” said 
the Lord, “that he will command his children 
and his household after him, and they shall keep 
the way of the Lord.” That Sarah was a faith¬ 
ful wife, a prudent and discreet housekeeper, and 
willing to aid her husband in this important work 
of training his household to serve God, we have 
no reason to doubt. That she “ labored, working 
with her own hands,” or strictly superintended 
the labor of her servants, we infer from the fact 
that when strangers were to be entertained Abra¬ 
ham calls upon her to prepare the needed food. 
We think of her as the energetic, active head of 
a large and well-ordered family, and God doubt¬ 
less aided and qualified her for the station she 
occupied. 

Soon after their return from Egypt, God had 
appeared again to Abraham, and renewed his 
covenant with him, assuring him that the land of 
Canaan should be given to his posterity, who 
should be as the sands of the sea-shore, innumer¬ 
able. But the years rolled’by, and there was no 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


35 


sign of the fulfilment of this promise. Sarah, 
who seems not to have possessed the unshaken 
faith which characterized-her husband, despairing 
of herself becoming a mother, resorted at length 
to an expedient which is revolting to us, and 
which proved disastrous to the peace of all con¬ 
cerned in it. The laws and customs of the land 
countenanced polygamy, and Abraham, in com¬ 
pliance with Sarah’s wishes, took Hagar, her 
bond-woman, for a secondary wife, in hope of 
gaining the long-desired blessing. Hagar was 
an Egyptian, and had probably become one of 
their family during their sojourn in her native 
land. She seems to have been a favorite servant, 
and was certainly honored in being selected as 
the object of her master’s regards. The desired 
end was obtained. Hagar soon had the prospect 
of becoming a mother. But the happiness which 
Sarah anticipated did not follow. As might have 
been foreseen, her own jealous feelings were 
roused, and Hagar soon manifested the vanity 
and insolence which her situation, now so supe¬ 
rior to that of her mistress, naturally called forth. 
She manifested her contempt in a manner so 


36 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


marked that Sarah’s indignation could not be 
controlled ; but, instead of blaming only herself, 
she reproached her husband. She insinuated that 
Hagar stood too high in his estimation, and called 
upon God to witness that she was wronged. The 
most serious unhappiness now reigned in this 
hitherto quiet family. Abraham might have re¬ 
monstrated with Sarah, or reproached her in turn ; 
he might have claimed the right to protect Hagar 
as his wife ; but the dignity and excellence of 
his character appear in his answer : “ Thy maid 
is in thine hand ; do to her as it pleaseth thee.” 
“Sarah afflicted her.” Whether it is intended 
that she inflicted personal chastisement upon her, 
as some commentators affirm, or whether the 
affliction consisted of bitter words ; which to a 
sensitive Spirit are worse than blows, we cannot 
decide. Whatever was done was sufficient to 
drive Hagar, in desperation, from her presence. 
She fled hastily to go to Egypt, her native land, 
but sunk exhausted, friendless, and ready to 
perish, by a fountain in the wilderness of Shur. 
Most beautiful is the description which follows 
the account of her flight, and wonderfully does it 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


37 


show the tender mercy of God toward those who 
are in trouble. An angel of the Lord seejjs her 
in her woe. He, without whose notice the spar¬ 
row cannot fall, is not unmindful of helpless, suf¬ 
fering woman. “And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s 
maid, whence earnest thou ? and whither wilt 
thou go?” He does not call her Abraham's 
wife . It is not his part to increase her pride, 
and aggravate her discontent. He reminds her 
of her true condition, and calls up entirely differ¬ 
ent thoughts from those which she has been 
indulging. Those simple questions startle her 
from the tumultuous emotions of rebellion and • 
presumption. Whence had she come ? From a 
happy, loving home, where she had been the 
favorite of an indulgent and gentle mistress ; a 
home which would speedily be yet dearer to her 
as the birth-place of her child,— that child who 
was to be the supposed heir to her master and all 
his sainted privileges ; from friends, from com¬ 
panions, all whom she loved; and she had left 
them ! and whither was she going ? How might 
she answer, when she knew not? How idle 
and impotent now seemed her previous feelings ! 

4 


38 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Those questions had flashed light on her darkened 
heart, and humbled her at once ; and simply and 
truthfully she answered, “ I flee from the pres¬ 
ence of my mistress Sarai.” 

The angel, who was no other than the glorious 
Messenger of the Covenant, directed her to return 
and submit herself to her mistress, and then, to 
comfort her, and enable her to bear her lot, 
unfolded the future. He told her she would bear 
a son, and bade her call him Ishmaei. This 
is the first name given by God to any man before 
his birth. It signifies, “ The Lord hath heard, 

• or will hear,” and would always remind her of 
his interposition in her behalf. “ Because,” said 
he, “the Lord hath heard thy affliction.” He 
does not say, hath heard thy prayer, nor does it 
appear that she offered any. Has the affliction of 
his creatures such a voice that it thus reaches the 
Almighty ear ? Ho the woes of the humblest, 
the poor bond-woman, call to her aid the Angel- 
Jeliovah unsought ? 0, what a view into the 

heart of infinite love do these few words afford 1 
He then utters that remarkable, prophetic descrip¬ 
tion of the descendants of Ishmaei, concerning 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


39 


which Dr. Adam Clarke says, 44 It furnishes an 
absolute demonstrative argument of the divine 
origin of the Pentateuch. To attempt its refuta¬ 
tion, in the sight of reason and common sense, 
would convict of most ridiculous presumption and 
excessive folly.” “ He shall be a wild man ; his 
hand will be against every man, and every man’s 
hand shall be against him ; and he shall dwell in 
the presence of all his brethren.” “ We have only 
to turn to the page of history to see how appo¬ 
site this character has been in all ages to the Arab 
race, the descendants of Ishmael. They have 
occupied the same country, and followed the same 
mode of life, from the days of their great ances¬ 
tor down to the present time ; and range the wide 
extent of burning sands which separate them from 
all surrounding nations, as rude, as savage, and as 
untractable, as the wild ass himself.” “ Behold, 
as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their 
work betimes for a prey : the wilderness yieldeth 
food for them and for their children.” We have 
not time to dwell upon all the beauties of this 
wonderful .prophecy, but beg our readers not to be 
satisfied by merely reading it in their Bibles. If 


40 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


they will study it thoroughly in the light which 
its fulfilment during four thousand years affords, 
they will be amply repaid for the labor. 

■Whether Hagar had imbibed the faith of Abra¬ 
ham and Sarah in the true God, or whether her 
heart still clung to the idols of her early home, 
we do not know. When she cast herself, trem¬ 
bling and fainting, upon the ground by the well- 
side in the wilderness, she probably thought not 
of turning to either for aid. Weary and sick in 
body, and tempest-tost on a sea of conflicting 
passions, she thought only of her wretchedness, 
and scarcely hoped for deliverance. Now how 
changed! Refreshed, comforted, blessed, she 
rises yvith humility and joy in her heart, and 
expressions of devout gratitude on her lips, and 
prepares to retrace her steps. She could no 
longer doubt the existence and infinite kindness 
of Abraham’s God. When she had thought her¬ 
self alone, he was near, a witness to all her grief. 
When her master, whom she so much loved, the 
father of her child, had with seeming indifference 
given her up to her mistress, and that mistress 
had dealt hardly with her, and she felt she had 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


41 


not a friend on earth, he had befriended her, had 
spoken words of kindness, and promised her great 
and wonderful blessings. She had seen him, she 
had heard his voice. Awe-struck, and wondering 
that she still lived after having seen Jehovah, she 
turned from the spot, which from that day was 
called “ The well of the angel of life, who 
appeared there.’’ 

ITagar returned to her home, as she had been 
directed, but whether she . went to peace or fur¬ 
ther affliction is not disclosed. We infer, how¬ 
ever, that her own altered deportment, and the 
birth of her child, which occurred soon after, put 
an end for the time to the bitter troubles caused 
by Sarah’s unhappy expedient. Abraham was 
extremely fond of his son, and Sarah regarded 
him as her own ; and doubtless the mother’s heart 
rejoiced in seeing the boy an object of such care. 
He was exalted far above herself in station ; but 
she was his mother, and permitted to perform 
toward him a mother’s part, and to feel all a 
mother’s happiness in his unfolding powers. 

Nearly thirteen years passed quietly on, 
bringing with them no events of sufficient import* 
4* 


42 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ance to be noticed by the inspired penman. No 
further revelation from God disturbed the delu¬ 
sion under which Abram and Sarah labored, 
that Ishmael was the promised seed, the heir of 
the covenant; and he was doubtless trained up in 
his hither’s house in a manner suitable to his fu¬ 
ture expectations. The time, however, at length 
came when Jehovah would more fully unfold his 
plans. Abram had nearly reached the age of 
a hundred years, and Sarah was almost ninety, 
when he once more appeared, and said, ££ I am 
God all-sufficient; walk before me, and be thou 
perfect.” This language seems to convey a 
reproof for their want of faith in his promises, and 
resorting to expedients of their own devising, 
and bids them henceforth act with more sim¬ 
plicity, and leave God to bring about his designs 
in his own way. He then entered into a solemn 
covenant with Abram, in which he included 
all his posterity to the latest generation. He 
also changed their names. Abram, which sig¬ 
nifies ££ an eminent father,” he called Abraham, 
££ an eminent father of a multitude ; ” and Sarai, 
££ my princess,” or, as we more familiarly say, 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


43 


queen of her own household, he called Sarah, 
“ princess of a multitude ; ” and then for the first 
time announced that the promised seed should 
descend from her : “ I will give thee a son also 
of her ; ” “ she shall be a mother of nations/’ 

Not long after this, the Lord again reiterates 
his promise, in an interview which is beautifully 
described in the sacred volume. 

In the delightful oak-grove of Mamre, in the 
midst of a sultry summer day, the patriarch sat 
at the door of his tent, enjoying the slight breeze, 
and resting from toil, which the intense heat of 
the Eastern climate forbids during certain hours. 
All around, at short distances, were the tents of his 
numerous dependants, their occupants reposing 
like himself, or scattered abroad with the flocks 
and herds. All was quiet and peaceful, until the 
sound of coming footsteps disturbed his medita¬ 
tions, and warned him of the approach of 
strangers. Abraham, obeying the quick impulse 
of hospitality, hastened to greet them, and invite 
them to repose under the grateful shade, and 
offer them the refreshments they needed. He 
provided water for their feet, and, entering the 


44 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


tent, directed Sarah to prepare food and set be¬ 
fore them ; which being done, he served them 
himself, according to the custom of his time. 
While they sat eating, the chief of them sud¬ 
denly asked him, “Where is Sarah, thy wife ? ” 
It was an extraordinary question. The women 
of the East live in the closest seclusion, having 
no intercourse with strangers, nor with any of the 
opposite sex, save their husbands, and with them 
they are never permitted to sit at the same table. 
A traveller remarks that one who should ask 
another of the health of his wife and family 
would be considered as offering him a downright 
insult. The question must, therefore, have 
greatly surprised Abraham. He answered, briefly, 
that Sarah w T as in the tent. “ I will certainly 
return unto thee,” continued his mysterious, 
though now no longer unknown visitor, “ and, lo, 
Sarah thy wife shall have a son.” Their table 
was spread at no great distance from the tent- 
door, and Sarah, in her private apartment, was an 
astonished listener to this strange conversation. 
We have before said that she did not partake of 
her husband’s implicit faith. When she heard the 


SARAII AND HAGAR. 


45 


announcement that she should bear a son, it was 
to her only ridiculous. The infinite power of 
him who promised she wholly overlooked, and 
remembered only that she had long passed the 
age w T hen maternity was possible, in the ordinary 
course of events. She laughed incredulously 
at what she heard. Omniscience pierces any 
barrier. “Wherefore did Sarah laugh ? ” said he. 
cc Is anything too hard for the Lord ? ” Terrified 
at being detected, Sarah now came forth from the 
tent, and, in her fear and confusion, “ denied, say¬ 
ing, I laughed not.” One penetrating look, and 
the quiet, firm reply, “ Nay, but thou didst 
laugh,” were sufficient to send her back to her re¬ 
tirement in penitence, a wiser and a better woman. 
From this time her character seems to have un¬ 
dergone a change. Her distrust of God was 
gone, and Paul, in days long after, numbers her 
among those who were illustrious for their faith, 
attributing the birth of Isaac to her implicit reli¬ 
ance on the word of the Almighty : “ She judged 
him faithful who had promised, and received 
strength.” 

Not long after this, Abraham removed from 


46 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Mamre, where he had long resided, and went to 
dwell in Gerah, the capital of the Philistines. 
Here was reenacted the same folly which had 
formerly cost them so much in Egypt, and which 
it is most marvellous to us should have ever been 
forgotten. Sarah was again taken by a heathen 
king, and only restored to her husband by the 
intervention of Jehovah. She was at this time 
ninety years of age, yet so remarkable was her 
beauty that she was as much an object of attrac¬ 
tion as in her youthful days, and Abimelech, 
after reproving Abraham for his deception, hinted 
to her, that it would be becoming in her to wear, 
when among strangers, a closely-covering veil, 
such as was universally customary among females 
resident in towns, in order to avoid the dangers 
to which her beauty exposed her. So far as we 
can gather from the sacred volume, Sarah was 
at this very time pregnant, by the miraculous 
power of Jehovah, which renders the whole scene 
still more remarkable. 

Whether they remained long in Gerah, we are 
not informed, nor where Isaac was born. But the 
joyful day came at length. “ After a childless 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


47 


union of more than sixty years,” Abraham and 
Sarah welcomed with delight the heir of the prom¬ 
ises, the covenanted gift of Jehovah. They 
called him Isaac. “ There shall be laughter; ” 
“ All that hear will laugh with me,” said Sarah; 
and, indeed, few events,-if any, recorded on the 
sacred page, were welcomed with so much rejoic¬ 
ing. Nearly three years, according to the custom 
of her nation, Sarah nourished her infant at her 
own breast; and only a mother can imagine her 
heartfelt happiness and gratitude during that de¬ 
lightful time. “And the child grew and was 
weaned, and Abraham made a great feast the same 
day that Isaac was weaned.” It was a bright, 
joyous day ; friends were congregated, tables of 
abundance were spread, congratulations were 
poured forth ; while the unconscious object of all, 
the pride and joy of fond parents, the hope of 
generations to come, pursued his childish sports, 
and expressed his childish wonder at the scene. 
But, like many sunny mornings of earth, it was 
to be overhung with clouds, its joy to be damp¬ 
ened by deep sorrow. 

Two hearts were there which no gladness 


48 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


visited, and in which no good feelings were 
cherished. Ishmael and his mother were envious 
and discontented witnesses of all that occurred. 
The happiness of others was their sorrow, the 
fulfilment of hope to Abraham and Sarah was 
their bitter disappointment; and they manifested 
their dissatisfaction, Hagar, probably, by pouring 
out her thoughts to her son, and he by ridiculing 
and speaking contemptuously of Isaac. Sarah 
saw and heard, and all that was to come in the 
future — the discord and wrangling, the endless 
disputes and heart-burnings, the evil and per¬ 
haps malicious influence over her precious child— 
flashed instantly upon her mind, and, urged by an 
impulse too strong to be resisted, she sought her 
husband, and demanded that Hagar should be 
divorced, and Ishmael disinherited. It was a 
grievous request to Abraham. Ishmael was his 
own son, his first-born and first-beloved; and 
toward Hagar he felt the tenderness of a father 
for the mother of his child. He appears to have 
appealed to God, who bade him do as Sarah had 
said, for Isaac was to be his only heir; but, at the 
same time, soothed his grief, and allayed his anx- 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


49 


ieties, by promising that Ishmael, for his sake, 
should be abundantly prospered and blessed. 

Early on the morning which followed the 
weaning feast, Abraham arose to execute his sor¬ 
rowful task. Calling Hagar, he gave her the 
necessary directions for her future course, placed 
on her shoulder a leathern bottle of water, and 
bread sufficient for their present wants, and then, 
putting Ishmael’s hand in hers, he bade them a 
final farewell, and sent them on their way. Won¬ 
derful, indeed, was the faith and obedience of 
Abraham! 

The wanderers bent their steps toward the un¬ 
inhabited region beyond Beersheba, Hagar prob¬ 
ably intending, as before, to go to Egypt. She 
was unhappy then, but more miserable now, and 
yet deeper trouble awaited her. The water was 
soon gone, and Ishmael, overcome with fatigue 
and thirst, was unable to proceed ; and when she 
saw him lying helpless, and apparently about to 
die, in her anguish she left him, that she might 
not witness the closing of eyes so dear, forever. 
Did she now call to mind her former deliverance ? 
Did the name of her son recall the scene at the 


o 


50 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


“well of the angel of life,” and induce her 
again to seek his aid ? We do not know. But 
whether she called or not, that blessed angel was 
near her now, as before. Once more his heavenly 
voice addressed her : “ What aileth thee, Ilagar? 
Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the 
lad where he is.” 

# * * & # 

She was relieved and her child restored. 
Blessed and comforted by the promises of God, 
she went on her way. Ishmael was at this time 
sixteen years of age ; and though, as we read 
the account, we feel that it was cruel to send 
him forth from the luxuries and privileges of his 
father’s house, to provide for himself, it was not 
so in fact. The younger sons of .a family were 
generally thus sent to seek their fortunes. He 
■chose for his home a spot uninhabited and wild, 
the resort of many animals proper for food, and 
by the use of his bow he was able amply to sup¬ 
ply his own and his mother’s wants, and was 
soon, as had been promised, a prosperous man. 

Hagar, we are told, took him a wife from her 
native land, and from him descended a race not 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


51 


less remarkable than the Israelites themselves. 
The' faithfulness of Abraham has had its reward 
not alone in the blessings bestowed on the chosen 
seed. 

After the departure of Hagar and Ishmael little 
is recorded concerning the family of Abraham. 
They dwelt at Beersheba, and, so far as we know, 
their life passed quietly. Of Sarah’s character 
as a mother we earnestly wish to know more than 
we are told. Not a word is said of her instruc¬ 
tions to her cherished son, and w 7 e can only gather 
the proof of her faithfulness from the excellent 
character of Isaac. We know that daily lessons 
of obedience to his parents were instilled into his 
young mind, for he hesitated not to follow his 
father, unquestioned, to the Mount of Moriah, 
and to do his bidding to the utmost. And in later 
years, he with the same spirit acceded to , his 
father’s wishes in respect to the most important 
interests of his life, receiving even his wife from 
his hands, apparently without the slightest dispo¬ 
sition to select for himself the partner of his life, 
after his father had desired to do it for him. We 
know that the most unwavering confidence in God 


52 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


had been wrought into his whole life, for he sub¬ 
mitted without shrinking to be bound and laid 
upon the altar of sacrifice at the divine command, 
manifesting a faith scarcely inferior to that of 
Abraham himself. We know that a mother’s 
untiring, devoted love, had been his daily bless¬ 
ing, and had linked his heart to hers in ties which 
might not be sundered without deepest anguish, 
for he knew no comfort after her death, till three 
years had fled, and Kebecca was given to cheer 
his solitude. We are certain that a holy exam¬ 
ple, the sacred influence of daily prayer, the 
habitual prominence given to sacred and divine 
realities, and frequent instructions concerning his 
obligations to honor his father’s God, trained this 
child of the covenant to fill the place assigned 
him in the mighty plan of grace. 

Many years he enjoyed his mother’s care and 
counsels ; he seems to have been her constant 
companion, and from that companionship he 
gained a gentleness and loveliness of character, 
very remarkable in a man. 

The strongest earthly ties are frail when death 
appears. Sarah’s death and the circumstances 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


53 


of her burial are touchingly described in the 
sacred volume, and it is worthy of notice, that 
she is the only woman to whom such honor is 
given. Abraham was a stranger and sojourner in 
the land of Canaan, and had hitherto owned not 
a foot of the land promised to his descendants, 
nor had he needed such possession. Cared for 
by God, and surrounded by those he loved, every 
place was home. But now, death had removed 
the light of his eyes, the fond companion of his 
days. Nearly a century had she shared his every 
joy and sorrow, and cheered his pilgrim lot. But 
now she would no longer gladden his tent, nor 
accompany him in his wanderings. She had 
daily bowed with him, through those long years, 
in sincere and humble worship of the living 
God, and their united faith had drawn from him 
wonderful, even miraculous blessings. But now 
her familiar form would appear no more at the 
sacred altar, nor her confidence in the Almighty 
strengthen his own. He had loved her in their 
early days, when she was the pride and joy of his 
Chaldean home, but she was far dearer to him 
when he looked upon her, after nearly a century 
5 * 


54 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


had passed over her head, with beauty unim¬ 
paired, her youth renewed by the kindness of 
God, folding to her mother’s breast the long- 
desired and most precious son of promise. 44 A 
babe in a house is not merely a well-spring of 
pleasure,” and 44 a messenger of peace and love,” 
but infancy and childhood ever bring with them 
freshening and revivifying influences. Abraham 
had felt their influences himself, and seen their 
effect on Sarah, and we can well believe that their 
evening-time had been brighter than the piorning. 

But she was gone, and the question came, 
44 where should he lay, for their last repose, the 
remains of his beloved and faithful wife ? ” Not 
in the burying-places of the idolaters ! He could 
not endure the thought. He purchased the cave 
of Machpelah, and, with weeping and mourning, 
buried his dead out of his sight. 

Around that grave of Sarah how many sacred 
associations linger. There, when years had 
passed, Isaac and Ishmael met, for the first time, 
perhaps, since the weaning feast, to lay their 
honored, father by her side. 44 There they buried 
Isaac and Rebecca his wife ; there Jacob buried 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


55 

Leah,” and thither went up from Egypt the 
“ chariots and horsemen, a very great company,” 
who, with Joseph, bore the body of Jacob also to 
the same quiet resting-place. Upon the hills of 
that beautiful region the mighty Anakims dwelt, 
and from thence, more than four hundred year^ 
after, when the descendants of Abraham were 
returning from bondage, the spies sent by Moses 
brought back the evil report which resulted in the 
many wanderings of the wilderness. On that spot 
stood one of the most ancient cities of the world 
— the possession of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, 
where the tribes received their inheritance, and 
later, a city of refuge, and assigned to the Levites. 
There David held his court seven years, and there 
Absalom raised the standard of revolt. And when 
centuries had rolled away, when the long-ex¬ 
pected Messiah was at hand, to that sacred “ city 
in the hill-country of Judah, went, in haste,” the 
most highly favored among women, the virgin 
mother of Jesus, to exchange congratulations 
with her only less favored cousin, and to pour 
forth her $ong of exultation and triumph. The 
spot on which Abraham and Sarah dwelt so long, 


56 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


and where their bones reposed, where the Al¬ 
mighty had reiterated his solemn promises,— 
thousands of years after, witnessed Mary’s joy, 
and echoed her song of gratitude to him whose 
word abidetli forever, for the fulfilment of those 
very assurances. “My soul doth magnify the 
Lord ; he hath holpen his servant Israel in remem¬ 
brance of his mercy ; as he spake to our fathers, to 
Abraham and his seed forever .” 

A multitude of reflections crowd upon us as we 
draw to a close our account of Sarah and Hagar, 
to which we can do no justice. Indeed, we feel 
that we have given a meagre transcript of our 
own thoughts while studying this deeply interest¬ 
ing history. We earnestly request those who 
have read these pages, not to rest for a moment 
satisfied, but to take the sacred book, and, asking 
light from above, give themselves to the work of 
gaining all the instruction it affords upon this 
theme. We assure them that encouragement, 
strength, and blessing will be their reward. 
Especially, they shall gain delightful views of 
the character of Jehovah, and be able to sing 
as never before, “Exalt the Lord our God.” 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


57 


“Praise ye the Lord, for his mercy endureth for¬ 
ever.’ ’ 

Sarah, notwithstanding her dignified station, 
her wonderful beauty and noble character, was 
still an imperfect woman; yet how kindly was 
she dealt with; what honor has God put upon 
her. She consented to prevarication and deceit 
with her husband, but the evil consequences 
which they deserved were once and again pre¬ 
vented by divine interposition. She laughed 
incredulously at his gracious words of promise, 
and then denied her fault. Yet, in consideration 
of her “ fear and amazement,” she was not 
severely reproved, the blessing w T as not withheld, 
nor was her fault noticed to the exclusion of what 
was otherwise good in her conduct, for, by the 
mouth of Peter, God afterward commends hei 
reverence for her husband, manifested at that 
very time. She was faithless, and jealous, and 
angry in her dealings with Hagar, yet the Al¬ 
mighty did not take his favor from her, while he 
suffered her to reap the bitter fruit of her folly. 
As a mother, how remarkable is his kindness to 
her. “ She was ninety years of ag§ when Isaac 


58 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


was born. In the course of nature ten or twelve 
years would have closed her mortal career, or 
rendered it, from the infirmities of age, a burden 
to herself and all around her. There was appar¬ 
ently no need of her preservation to forward the 
decrees of the Lord. In giving birth to the child 
of promise, her part was fulfilled, and at the age 
of ten or twelve tiie boy might have done without 
her. But God is love, and the affections of his 
children are, in their strength and purity, pecu¬ 
liarly acceptable to him. He never bestoweth 
happiness to withdraw it; and therefore, to per¬ 
fect the felicity of Sarah and her child, his ten¬ 
derness preserved .her in life and vigor seven and 
thirty years after she had given him birth. The 
trial of faith, also, in the sacrifice of his son, 
was given to the father. lie demanded not 
from her what he knew the mother could not 
bear.” 

Strikingly, too, is the loving-kindness of God 
manifested in Ilagar’s history. She was not of 
the chosen race ; she was but a humble bond- 
woman, and very faulty in character, yet he took 
cognizance of her woes, and twice came in his 


SARAH AND HAGAR. 


59 


own glorious person to her aid, and bestowed 
upon her rich and abundant blessings. 

Would that, amid our many cares, anxieties, 
and sorrows, we could ever bear in mind the love 
of him who wove the ties by which our hearts are 
bound to our children, whose tenderness and 
sympathy are never-failing, who says to every 
one of his redeemed children, “ Can a mother 
forget her child ? Yea, they may, yet will I not 
forget thee.” 


-> 



THE WIFE OF LOT. 

“ Remember Lot’s wife.” 

This was our Saviour's injunction, and in obe¬ 
dience to it we here take occasion to address 
some, who, though not generally interested in the 
study of the Bible, nor in such volumes as this, 
may nevertheless glance over its pages, either 
accidentally or at the suggestion of a friend. 

Do not be offended that we charge you with 
the same faults as she possessed, who was made a 
perpetual monument of folly, and whom you have 
ever been accustomed to regard with dislike, and 
whom you think you do not in any particular 
resemble. 

Have you ever seriously considered the nature 
of the sin which Lot's wife committed ? Are you 
quite sure that you are not chargeable with like 
foolishness ? Lot and his family dwelt in Sodom, 
a place where not a single righteous man or wor¬ 
shipper of the true God could be found, save him¬ 
self. The cry of the wickedness of that wicked 


THE WIFE OF LOT. 


61 


city rose up to heaven, and God determined to 
destroy it. He sent an angel, who warned Lot to 
flee, with all his household, to the mountains, and 
to go in such haste as not to cast a single glance 
behind, lest the scorching heat of the fearful 
flame should devour them before they reached a 
place of safety. They w T ent; but the wife and 
mother, not believing the message of the angel, 
and grieved at leaving her home and worldly pos¬ 
sessions, turned a lingering, longing look back 
on the doomed city, and was instantly destroyed. 
Her sin was unbelief, — its fruit was disobedience 
to the direct command of God. 

You, dear friends, live in a world in which like 
sentence has gone forth. “The earth, and the 
works that are therein, shall be burned up.” Do 
you believe this word of God ? Perhaps you will 
answer that it is of little consequence whether 
you do believe or not, as the day is far distant, 
and will affect you little. But there is another 
word of God which is addressed to you. “ It i£ 
appointed unto men once to die.” Do you believe 
this ? You will' say it is preposterous to ask such 
a question. We know that we shall die ; we 
6 


62 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


must believe that. But do you act as if you 
believed it? Are you prepared for it ? Are you 
so training your children that they shall be pre¬ 
pared for it ? When the summons comes, will it 
find you willing to leave this world, and all its 
pleasures, and enter at God's command on untried 
scenes ? There is yet another message which 
God is even now speaking in your ears : “ Flee 
from the wrath to come." “He that believeth 
on the Son hath everlasting life; he that believeth 
not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of 
God abideth on him." Is this message any more 
acceptable to you than was that of the angel to 
Lot’s wife ? Do you credit it at all ? Are you 
taking any means to avoid the wrath or gain the 
faith of which it speaks ? Are you daily instruct¬ 
ing your children, those who are so precious to 
you that you would shield them with your life 
from harm, to flee from this fearful wrath ? 
When you lie down at night and when you wake, 
do you earnestly pray for mercy for them and 
yourself? Do you lead their young affections to 
the Saviour, as the one most worthy of their 
love ? Do you teach them to bend the knee and 


THE WIFE OF LOT. 


63 


fold the little hands in prayer ? Is there anything 
in your daily life to convince them that you fully 
believe this truth of God’s word ? Do you not 
rather so live as to prove yourselves participators 
in the very sins of Lot’s wife, — unbelief and 
disobedience ? 

We beg you, by your peace of mind, by your 
own eternal welfare, by your love for the immortal 
beings committed to your care, by the death and 
atoning sacrifice of your Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ, to “ think on these things .” 

Perhaps you are devising plans and cher¬ 
ishing expectations for your loved ones, which 
such views as these would disturb and destroy. 
In this, also, your circumstances are not unlike 
those of the mother of Lot’s children. She had 
two daughters who were affianced to two men 
of that gay but devoted city. Doubtless she 
rejoiced in what she considered their good fortune 
and excellent prospects. Have you ever inquired 
after the fate of those daughters, and the result 
of their early training ? Seek the history in the 
book of God, and do not turn away with disgust 
because we have directed you to it, and with 


64 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


entire assurance that your daughters will walk 
the path of life clear of all such dangers. The 
worldly-minded , ungodly mother has no security for 
the upright conduct of her children , even according 
to the low standard of the world's morality. The 
only security for ourselves, and those to whom we 
have given being, is a firm faith in the words of 
God, and an obedient spirit to his commands. 
Failing of these, we may any of us be as lasting 
monuments of his displeasure as Lot's wife-; and 
our children may sink to a degradation even 
worse than that of hers. 


REBEKAH. 


Three striking and instructive pictures- present 
themselves to us as we commence the study of 
Rebekah’s life, which we cannot do better than 
contemplate with earnest interest and attention. 

ABRAHAM AND ELIEZER. 

Three years have circled their lonely round 
since Sarah went to her rest. They have done 
the work of a longer time upon Abraham, and he 
now appears before us an old man, stricken in 
years, upon whom a hundred and forty winters 
have shed their snows, and who has few remaining 
duties to perforin this side the grave. With him 
is Eliezer, the tried and faithful steward of his 
household, and, like himself, the obedient servant 
of God. The time has come when, in accordance- 
with the habit of his nation, the father must select 
a w 7 ife for his son. Apparently the subject has 
cost him much anxious thought. Upon Isaac's 
marriage great results depend. He cannot see 
6 * 


66 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


him wedded to one of the idolatrous daughters of 
Canaan. That were to frustrate the purposes of 
God, and thus surely defeat his own happiness. 
The land of Canaan has been promised to his 
descendants indeed, but not through any such 
connection with its present occupants will the 
promise be accomplished. They are a guilty 
race, fast filling up their measure of iniquity, and 
devoted to merited destruction by the righteous 
judgment of Heaven. To be united with them 
were to share their doom. Abraham 'in this 
emergency had, doubtless, asked counsel of his 
covenant God, and he has summoned Eliezer to 
aid him in prosecuting his present design of 
bringing a wife for Isaac from among his own 
kindred. He requires from him a solemn oath 
that he will faithfully execute the mission. Elie¬ 
zer, wishing fully to understand his master’s 
wishes, and unwilling to bind himself to what he 
may not be able to perform, replies, “Peradven- 
ture the woman will not be willing to follow me 
to this land, must I needs bring thy son again 
unto the land from whence thou earnest ? ” The 
answer is instant and decided, 4 ‘Beware that thou 


REBEKAH. 


67 


bring not my son thither again/’ He, indeed, 
desires him to have a wife from Mesopotamia, but 
nothing in Abraham’s eyes was ever so important 
as the exact fulfilment of all the commands of 
God. He would not, for any reason, have Isaac 
leave the country in which, by Jehovah’s express 
will, they sojourned. In the spirit of obedience, 
and of the faith which never forsook him, he 
assures Eliezer that he will be guided and pros¬ 
pered, and will succeed in his endeavor. “ The 
Lord God of heaven, which took me from my 
father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, 
and which spake unto me, and sware unto me, 
saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land: he 
shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt 
take a wife for my son from thence.” 

Eliezer took the required oath, and “arose and 
went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.” 

, ELIEZER AND REBEKAII. 

It is the close of day, the time when the 
women of the East go forth to draw water, as is 
their universal custom. Dressed in their best 
attire, the young maidens gather about the well, 


68 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


to relate the news of the day, and refresh them¬ 
selves, even in the midst of their weary 'task, by 
pleasant intercourse. As they come one by one 
to the usual place of meeting, their attention is 
attracted by a group of strangers stationed at the 
well-side : men of foreign garb, and camels 
kneeling to rest, all evidently from a journey 
through the desert. We are drawn ourselves to 
scan this group more closely. One man appears 
to be chief among them, and his conduct fixes 
our attention. ITe seems like one who has some 
important business in hand, and upon whom some 
weight of responsibility rests. As we look, he 
employs himself with caring for his camels and 
attendants, and when this is done assumes the air 
and attitude of solemn devotion. But he bows to 
no idol. He prefers an earnest suit, but to none 
of the gods of the land. He addresses Jehovah, 
the God of Abraham. His prayer is most remark¬ 
able. It breathes a faith which to common mor¬ 
tals appears like presumption. Yet it is not 
unacceptable to God. Such confidence in his 
overruling providence, and his willingness to 
guide those who are in perplexity, exalts the King 


REBEKAH. 


69 


of kings. He will surely make a plain path for 
all who thus pray. There is in the heart which 
is truly devoted to God a noting of circumstances, 
a watching unto prayer, a disposition to see him, 
and ascertain his will, in all events, which cannot 
fail of its reward. 

“And he said, 0 Lord God of my master 
Abraham, I pray thee send me good speed this 
day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. 
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; 
and the daughters of the men of the city come 
out to draw water; and let it come to pass that 
the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy 
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she 
shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink 
also : let the same be she that thou hast appointed 
for thy servant Isaac ; and thereby shall I know 
that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.” 

As he closes his petition, a beautiful girl comes 
from the way of the city, and, without stopping 
to gossip with her young companions, or appear¬ 
ing to heed the presence of strangers, descends 
the steps to the well, and is soon seen laboring 
up the ascent, with her pitcher filled upon her 


70 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


shoulder. Eliezer —for ft is he — watches her 
closely. Her beauty and grace attract and please 
him, and, impelled by an irresistible impulse, he 
hastens to meet her, and begs her to give him 
water from her pitcher. With ready kindness 
she answers, “Drink, my lord, and I will draw 
water for thy camels also,” and immediately 
hastens to fill the empty trough, ascending and 
descending many times the weary way to the well. 
We feel indignant as we gaze at the indolent men 
who stand by and offer no assistance. They seem 
to us unmanly, and she engaged in work for which 
she is hardly equal. But it is the custom of her 
country, and she deems it no hardship. She is 
also evidently more than ordinarily amiable and 
courteous. Eliezer looks on, while she is thus 
engaged, with admiration and hope, and when 
her task is accomplished, asks her, with trembling 
eagerness, “Whose daughter art thou? tell me, 
I pray thee.” Little suspecting the deep import 
of the question, or what life-long interests are to 
hang upon her words, she answers, with prompt 
and beautiful simplicity, “I am the daughter of 
Bcthuel, the son of Milcah.” 


REBEKAH. 


71 


Astonishment is depicted on the faces of the 
wondering damsels at the deportment of the 
stranger on this announcement. lie seems beside 
himself with joy. He puts upon Rebekah’s arms 
bracelets of richest workmanship, and gives her 
other ornaments of value, and then again, unmind¬ 
ful of all about him, bows and worships as before. 

Many are the prayers for aid which go up in 
the time of need from the children of men, but 
very few, in comparison, are the thank-offerings 
which acknowledge the gift when received. Often 
only one in ten is found who gives glory to God 
for his prompt bestowal of desired good. Elie- 
zer was in heart and soul the true servant of 
Jehovah, as his outpouring of gratitude at 
Rebekah’s answer proves. 

Meanwhile, Rebekah herself, bewildered and 
surprised, hastens to tell her mother what had 
befallen her, and to send her brother to invite the 
stranger home. He comes, and relates his story 
to the eagerly listening family. Well did they 
know the history of Abraham’s departure from 
country and kindred at the command of an 
unknown God, and tidings had from time to time 


72 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


reached them of his obedience and faithfulness, 
and of the prosperity which had attended him. 
They could not but admire his noble character, 
and they had learned to reverence the God whom 
he served, though still themselves adhering to 
their idols. And now, when the errand of Elie- 
zer is made known, they receive it as an intima¬ 
tion of the will of Jehovah, and without hesita¬ 
tion assent to his proposals. 

Again Eliezer worships and gives thanks ; 
costly jewels of gold and silver are brought forth, 
and rich raiment; goodly gifts are bestowed ; a 
table is spread, and joy and gladness prevail. 
##*'#* 

The morning has come — such a morning as 
Rebekah never saw before. Yestereven she went 
forth free, and careless, and light-hearted, to meet 
her young companions at the well; to-day she 
rises the betrothed bride of her unknown cousin 
— the destined wife of him who is the vowed 
follower of that strange God, whose very name 
fills her spirit with awe. Henceforth, in obedi¬ 
ence to his high commands, and for the love of 
one whom she has never seen, she must be an 


REBEKAH. 


73 


exile from home and friends, and share a destiny 
widely different from any which had ever before 
filled her youthful imagination or inspired her 
hopes. Can she go ? It is needless to ask. The 
question has been decided without consulting her 
wishes, and she dreams not of any objection to 
that decision. But twelve hours have changed 
her greatly. She has laid aside the gayety and 
freedom of girlhood. A burden of thoughtful¬ 
ness rests upon her, and the calm dignity of the 
woman appears in word and action, as she pre¬ 
pares, at the urgent request of Eliezer, to depart 
immediately on the journey to Beerslieba. 

The necessary arrangements are soon completed, 
the parting embrace is given and received, the 
blessings of full hearts are bestowed, the long 
caravan is directed to move — she is gone. The 
hand of the Lord is in it. 

REBEKAH AND ISAAC. 

The time has arrived when Eliezer may be 
expected to return from Mesopotamia, and Isaac 
comes from the south country, where he has been 
for a time residing, to the house of his father, to 

7 


74 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


learn the result of his mission. He has gone 
forth in the beautiful and quiet evening to medi¬ 
tate in the fields and commune with God. Serene 
and happy from that communion, he is now seen 
walking to meet the caravan, which at this 
moment appears in sight, slowly winding along 
the road to Beersheba. As he approaches, the 
riders alight from their camels and advance to 
meet him. Few words are spoken as they pro¬ 
ceed on foot to the encampment of Abraham. 
Isaac conducts his youthful bride, completely 
veiled, and wholly unknown, to his mother's tent, 
and bids her call it henceforth her home. Amid 
the hallowed associations of that sacred spot, he 
receives to his heart the gentle and confiding 
being who, leaving forever the home of her child¬ 
hood, and all loved scenes, has dared the dangers 
of the desert, to walk the journey of life with 
one of whose character she has known little, and 
on whose face she till now has never looked. 

She stands before him in youthful beauty and 
modest grace, his loving and beloved wife, and 
Isaac is comforted for the first time since his 
mother’s parting kiss had left him alone and sad. 


REBEKAH. 


75 


Can such a marriage he happy ? I hear my 
young readers ask. Not for worlds would we be 
wedded thus. We would not have our parents 
choose for us the partners of our life. We would 
not give ourselves to one of whom we knew noth¬ 
ing, and who had never expressed a preference for 
us. We could not be happy—it is impossible. 

Be not too hasty, my young friends. Happi¬ 
ness is the gift of God, not the result of for¬ 
tunate circumstances, and pleasant coincidences, 
and nice adaptations of character. His blessing 
can render any union bright, and without that 
blessing the fairest prospects shall prove false and 
fleeting. 

Can this blessing be certainly secured ? Yes. 
Consider the character and conduct of those en¬ 
gaged in the transactions of which we have read. 
Abraham seeks a wife for Isaac. What is his 
ruling desire ? The approbation of God. Her 
person, her situation in life, her fortunes, these 
are nothing to him ; but she must be one whom 
he knows God will approve. Isaac is a man of 
prayer and faith. In perfect simplicity and con¬ 
fidence he leaves this important interest of his life 


76 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


wholly to God's direction ; even the very servant 
who goes on the mission is a man of rare piety, 
to whom prayer is a necessity, and who regards 
every event as an intimation of the will of Jeho- 
vah. Every step is taken, everything is done, 
with direct reference to his approbation, and will 
he fail to bless and prosper ? No, verily. He 
never yet said to any such, “ Seek ye my face in 
vain." He will watch over Isaac and his youth¬ 
ful wife for good. Long years shall they walk 
hand in hand, and theirs shall be a union such a‘s 
we read of seldom on the sacred page, unbroken 
to the end of life, which no jealousy shall mar, 
and not even the wide-spread practice of poly¬ 
gamy, that curse of domestic peace, shall ever 
be permitted to invade. Rebekah is, indeed, 
now a worshipper of idols, but she has already 
learned to fear His mighty name, and he will by 
his grace, and because his glory has been sought, 
render her worthy to be the wife of Isaac and 
mother of the promised seed — an important link 
in that mighty chain of events which will at 
length usher upon the world the reign of Him in 
whom all the nations shall be blessed. 


REBEKAH. 


77 


“ Prayer is the slender nerve that moveth the 
muscles of Omnipotence/' 

Wouldst thou have a path of usefulness and 
peace pointed out to thee by him who directeth 
all events, and ordereth the lot of man, pray sin¬ 
cerely and earnestly for it, young adventurer 
over the rugged ways of earth, and thy prayer 
shall move the Almighty hand ; that hand which 
alone can make the crooked straight, and the 
rough places plain. 

# # # * % * 
Beside the well Lahairoi, not far from Beershe- 
ba, are pitched the spreading and far-reaching 
tents of Isaac, the faithful and prospered servant 
of Jehovah. Blessings from above have waited 
on his steps ; his goings out and comings in have 
been beneath the smile of the Lord his Maker. 
Serene and peaceful has been his life, passed in 
quiet pursuits, in the society of his gentle wife, 
and in frequent intercourse with his honored fa¬ 
ther. It would seem that perfect content should 
be the portion of those so favored. But we find 
it not thus. In the retirement of their tent, at 
the close of the day, twenty years from their 


78 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


bridal, Isaac and Rebekah sit conversing, long, 
earnestly and anxiously ; and at last, as if by 
mutual impulse, they kneel together in prayer, 
and Isaac pours forth their joint supplications for 
a crowning blessing, without which all others 
prove incapable of rendering them truly satisfied 
and happy. Listen, while the meek and trusting 
servant pleads with his covenant-keeping God. 
He recalls the day when Jehovah summoned his 
father from his native land, and recounts the 
promises of divine love made to him ai\d his seed 
after him. Can those reiterated promises fail ? 
Is God a man that he should lie, or the son of 
man that he should repent ? “ In Isaac shall 

thy seed be called." “ If thou be able to num¬ 
ber the stars, so shall thy seed be." These words 
surely were not lightly spoken. They were 
uttered by him who is mighty in working, as wise 
in counsel. Isaac believes, and therefore prays, 
and they rise refreshed, and at ease, doubting 
nothing, and resorting to no crooked policy to 
secure their earnest wishes. 

Beautiful is the faith of those who thus simply 
and confidingly make known their desires to 


REBEKAH. 


79 


Jehovah, and glorious is the condescension and 
' grace of their Omnipotent Friend, who bends a 
listening ear to hear, and reaches forth a willing 
hand to fulfil their requests. Far too seldom and 
too briefly do we dwell on the thought of that 
wonderful love, which is so ready, not merely to 
save our souls and give us heavenly bliss, but also 
to secure our present happiness. 

Twenty years have rolled since their marriage- 
day, and Isaac and Rebekah are childless. They 
cannot be happy thus. They tell their disap¬ 
pointment to him who has the control of all 
events, and humbly ask his interposition, and 
obtain the desired blessing. There is no event 
interesting to us which attracts not the notice of 
our heavenly Father, and which we may not sub¬ 
mit to him, as a sympathizing friend. No earth¬ 
ly friend can possibly appreciate our sorrows, or 
understand our necessities, as he does, and no 
human heart owns a love so pure, so unselfish, so 
strong, as he feels for every child he has on earth. 

If we are childless, we may ask him to pity 
our loneliness. Many of his devoted children 
have thus appealed to him, and been heard. If 


80 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


we have children who are sources of deep anx¬ 
iety, we may always cast our care upon him. ✓ 
Even he once said, “ I have nourished and 
brought up children, and they have rebelled 
against me.” 

* * * * # * 

The mother is distressed. With what delight¬ 
ful consciousness that a new life is springing from 
her own, has come also an intuitive sense that all 
is not right, and again she seeks God. If, in love 
and mercy, he has answered her prayer, and 
the wish of her life is to be gratified, why this 
unwonted suffering ? She asks at his mouth, 
and receives a reply which foretells the cares and 
anxieties of her future life, and lays a foun¬ 
dation for the only departure from strict rectitude 
which is recorded in her history. She shall bear 
two sons, who, from the very commencement, are 
to be antagonistic to each other, and the elder 
shall not be the heir of Abraham’s promised 
blessings. Did Rebekah comprehend the full 
import of these words ? Did she gain from 
them a glimpse of the troubled life she was to 
lead? We do not know. Her boys were*wel- 


REBEKAH. 


81 


corned with all a mother’s tenderness, and proba¬ 
bly shared equally, for a time, her care and love, 
though it may be that her eye sometimes fastened 
on Jacob with deeper interest, as she recalled-the 
words of the Lord, and remembered that he was 
the chosen seed. A happy family now gathered 
nightly in Isaac’s tent, and the joy was complete 
when Abraham, the aged and infirm, but deeply 
respected and loved grandfather, joined the circle, 
and dandled on his knees the grandsons whom his 
dim eyes were so gladdened to behold. Fifteen 
years he watched their growth, and rejoiced in 
their unfolding faculties, and then departed from 
earth, and they saw him laid in the grave of Mach- 
pelah, by her side who had been to their father 
the fondest and most faithful of mothers, and 
whose name they had been taught to revere and 
love. 

Years rolled on, many years, bringing with 
them to Rebekah the cares and anxieties of a 
mother’s life, and also a mother’s rich compen¬ 
sations. She was no longer lonely or listless. 
Every day brought new joys and new employ¬ 
ments, and more imperative necessity for discre- 


82 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


tion and wisdom in the management of her charge. 
Every day unfolded the opposite characters of her 
ohildren. Esau, ever impulsive, ardent, and over¬ 
bearing, yet overflowing with affection, required 
an entirely different discipline from his unassum¬ 
ing and quiet brother, whose winning traits and 
obedient spirit, in contrast with Esau's turbulence, 
at length caused her to swerve so widely from the 
path of maternal rectitude. Yet there was much 
in Esau’s manly activity to call forth admiration, 
and she, doubtless, often felt a mother’s pride 
when she saw him return from the field, glowing 
with health, and flushed with the exhilaration of 
successful sport, to lay his trophies at the feet of 
his aged and fond father, and prepare the venison 
that he loved. But her heart turned in its ten¬ 
derness to him who was considerate of her slight¬ 
est wish, and with whom, moreover, she knew the 
blessing of Jehovah rested. 

But notwithstanding the difference in the two 
boys, and notwithstanding the evil partiality of 
both parents, no serious unhappiness followed, 
until, at the age of forty years, Esau suddenly 
withdrew from the little circle, and established a 


REBEKAH. 


83 


family of his own, by taking two wives from among 
the idolaters around them. Heeding not the' 
known will of Jehovah, and little regarding tlm 
wishes of his parents, or the grief he might cause 
them, he, from this time, manifested such an indif¬ 
ference to holy things, such a contempt even for 
the blessings covenanted to his family, such a 
thoroughly selfish disposition, as to prove himself 
wholly unworthy of his birthright privileges, and 
increase his mother’s fondness for her younger 
son. The bitter evil to which that overweening 
fondness at length led, we are all familiar with. 
She allowed herself to dwell too often on the 
faults of one child and the virtues of the other, 
until she came at length to deceive her husband, 
to stain, by her own example and counsel, the soul 
of her loved one with falsehood and fraud, to em¬ 
bitter and madden the heart of her eldest-born, 
and bring upon her own and her husband’s declin¬ 
ing years sorrow and desolation. 

Alone and sorrowful, bearing the marks of age 
and care, and wrapped in absorbing meditations, 
Rebekah sits in her tent, at the close of a day 


84 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


which has been to her one of sadness and gloom. 

•»We will suppose it the anniversary of the birth 
of her children, three years subsequent to the 
bestowal of the paternal benediction upon Jacob. 
She is reviewing her life. She wanders back in 
imagination more than a hundred years, to her 
bridal day, and recalls the happiness and peace¬ 
fulness of the period when she was her husband's 
dearest companion, and when no oppressing care- 
weighed upon her spirit. She remembers how, as 
the months sped, their desire for the fulfilment 
of the divine promise led them at last to plead 
earnestly for the blessing of a child. It is now 
eighty years since that prayer was fulfilled. How 
vividly do the scenes present themselves before 
her. Her joy at the prospect of becoming a 
mother, and then her anxiety caused by the un¬ 
usual suffering she experienced. She remembers 
the answer given by the Almighty to her inquiry, 
<c Why am I thus ? ” and a groan escapes her lips. 
Then commenced the sorrows of her life. Not 
because new cares then began ; not because the 
quiet of her days was then changed for the 
excitements which children ever bring. These 


REBEKAH. 


85 


might have been only sources of new pleasure. 
But, then commenced her sin. 0, what misery 
had it caused her, and what self-reproach did she 
now feel! Had she been a faithful and just 
mother; had she bestowed equal affection upon 
her children, the life-long conflict between them 
might have been spared. How plainly her early 
mistakes appear before her now; how clear in 
memory's glass is pictured every evil conse¬ 
quence ! The childish quarrels, the more bitter 
differences of riper years, and, worse than all, 
the serious defects of character which both exhib¬ 
ited. Had she always regarded Esau with a 
mother's tender love, Jacob, in all probability, 
would not have taken advantage of his brother’s 
extremity to defraud him of his birthright. Had 
she not overvalued Jacob on account of his being 
heir of the covenant, Esau might not have come 
to despise its privileges. She follows down the 
track of years, dwelling long and earnestly on all 
the joys and sorrows they had brought. But 
most painfully present to her mind is the day of 
her severest trial and her worst sin. Again, in 
imagination, she hears Isaac's command to Esau 
8 


86 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


to bring him venison from the field, and receive 
his blessing, and feels anew the tumult of thought 
which those words occasioned, and the distress 
lest Jacob should after all be set aside. Her 
sudden resolve, and hasty efforts to prevent such 
a calamity, rise before her. Again she prepares 
the kid, and disguises her fair son with its deli¬ 
cate skin, and quiets his remonstrances ahd fears 
by assuming herself all the risk, even the curse 
which might descend. She takes from their 
sacred resting-place the sacerdotal garments kept 
for this important occasion, and with them arrays 
her favorite, and, w T hen all is prepared, listens in 
breathless anxiety to all that passes in that fear¬ 
ful interview. How dreadful in her ears are the 
reiterated falsehoods of the son whom, up to that 
hour, she had ever taught to revere the truth. 
How she shudders as she recalls his impious 
appeal to the aid of the Almighty. Even Isaac’s 
solemn blessing thrills her heart with fear. And 
then that exceeding great and bitter cry of her 
first-born, her long slighted, deeply injured son, 
how it echoes through the chambers of her soul, 
and seems by some mysterious power to enlighten 


REBEKAH. 


87 


the darkness, and reveal to her the secret work¬ 
ings of that blind partiality which had so indu¬ 
rated her moral perceptions, that until now she 
had been ignorant of its extent and guiltiness. 
She scarcely wonders, when she dwells on all the 
past, at Esau’s burning and murderous anger, 
though sudden fear again overtakes her at the 
remembrance of his threatening words; words 
which have banished Jacob from his home, and 
rendered her the desolate being she is. 

In the retrospect of her long life, there are 
some things to rejoice in, many for which to be 
thankful. As a maiden, she had been fair, lovely, 
and virtuous, the joy and pride of fond parents 
and brothers. As a wife, she had been faithful, 
and very happy, and able ever to retain a firm 
hold upon the conjugal affection which had glad¬ 
dened her youth. But as a mother, how had she 
failed ! Yet was not the providence and prophecy 
of God the cause of her folly ? She could not so 
excuse herself. Had he, the Almighty One, any 
need of the sins and infirmities of his creatures, 
in order to accomplish his purposes ? Could he 
not have caused Jacob to inherit Abraham’s priv- 


88 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ileges without her crooked and unjust course ? 
Humbled and heart-stricken, she bows in deep 
repentance, and accepts at his hands the bitter 
consequences. Henceforth, she must walk her 
path of earth alone. Her sons, who, in their 
infancy, had so gladdened her home, w T ill cheer 
that home no more. Her husband, blind, imbe¬ 
cile, and helpless, can no longer share her joys, 
nor bear with her the burdens of life. 

But duty is still hers. With meekness and 
love she will minister to the many wants of him 
who has loved her so long, and by her patience 
strive to expiate the only deceit of which she was 
ever guilty toward him ; and, to cheer her soli¬ 
tary days and nights, she will hide in her inmost 
heart the blessed consolation, that even as the 
Eternal needs not the faults of men to forward 
his designs, neither shall those faults be able to 
frustrate his gracious plans. Her shortcomings 
will not prevent her son from inheriting the cov¬ 
enant blessings, nor for a moment turn aside the 
current of divine love which is to flow through 
him to a guilty world. 

We have drawn a picture from imagination of 


REBEKAH. 


89 


the last scenes of Rebekah’s life, in order more 
fully to learn the lesson it teaches. If we would 
often strive to bring before us the probable 
thoughts and feelings of Bible characters, and 
place ourselves in their circumstances, we should 
gain far clearer views of their excellences and 
faults. 


8 * 


LEAH AND RACHEL. 

Two sisters, dwelling under one roof, loving 
and beloved, careless of the future, which in its 
beauty and freshness, like an unclouded morning 
just opening upon them, gives no hint of the 
darkness which may gather, or the tempests 
which may lower before the day is done / enter¬ 
ing a path which seems to lead through smiling 
and flowery fields on to some land of perfect 
peace ; but which will, ere long, find the weary 
and heart-stricken traveller harassed with unfore¬ 
seen obstacles, entangled in inextricable thickets, 
or plunged all unawares in some miry slough of 
Despond, — such are Leah and Rachel, when on 
the sacred page they are first presented - to our 
view. We regard them with deep and growing 
interest as we study the peculiarities of their dif¬ 
fering characters, and glean from the slight 
mementoes which are left us, some connected his¬ 
tory of their more widely differing destinies. 

Rachel comes ever first to our thoughts, in her 


LEAH AND RACHEL. 


91 


witching beauty, the pet and darling of her self- 
• ish father — the life of the house — the spoiled 
child — the blithesome, light-hearted young shep¬ 
herdess, who could so charm and entrance her 
staid and quiet cousin, that the seven years through 
which he toiled to win her, consumed by heat and 
chilled by frost, seemed to him but a fe\y days, 
for the love he had to her; and who, although 
eighty years had passed over his head before he 
claimed her for his bride, and youthful impulse 
and enthusiasm had long since fled, and romance 
had expired, still cherished for her through life 
an affection such as we find not in any page of 
fiction. But, notwithstanding her beauty and 
attractiveness, Rachel was, as we have said, a 
spoiled child, and she took this character into her 
married life, to her own sorrow, and the evident 
unhappiness of those around her. Wayward, 
and accustomed to be petted, she could ill endure 
to be crossed even by Providence. Envious of 
her sister, and impatient under any delay in the 
fulfilment of her wishes, she manifested a spirit 
which brought severe rebuke even from the lips 
of her devoted husband. Months and years were 


92 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


spent by her in a tumult of discordant feelings, 
and in resorting to unnatural and crooked policy 
in order to accomplish her end. Far from prov¬ 
ing amiable and lovely as a wife, she seems to 
have been to Jacob often a severe trial; yet, he 
ever loved her, even as in the first days of fond¬ 
ness. . But at length the disciplinary process 
which she needed seems to have had its designed 
effect, for the time came when he who sits as the 
refiner saw fit to visit her, and bestow the long- 
sought blessing. Happy beyond measure in the 
birth of a son, she offers her tribute of gratitude, 
and we must believe, though little further light 
shines on her character, that the fresh fountain of 
a mother’s love, newly opened in her heart, 
flowed to the purifying of all selfishness and 
jealousy, and to the harmonizing of all discordant 
elements in the hitherto distracted family. Would 
not her heart feel a new tie to her husband, the 
father of her child ? Would she not turn again, 
with self-reproach and reviving love, to her long- 
neglected and abused sister, the once-cherished 
companion of her childhood, now that she could 
understand and sympathize in her maternal joys 


LEAH AND RACHEL. 


93 


and cares ? Would not her affection be called 
forth as never before toward each childish member 
of the household, invested with an interest hitherto 
unknown, and doubly dear, because as truly the 
children of her husband as her own cherished 
nursling ? That she was a happier and better 
woman after Joseph's birth, we cannot doubt, and 
we feel sure that a peace never before experienced 
by them settled on Jacob’s family. 

But complete happiness abides not long a ten¬ 
ant in any circle on earth. That which had been 
to Bachel the strongest desire of life, became, at 
length, in its fulfilment, the occasion of her death. 
She who had felt that the birth of a son could 
bring only joy, who had said “ Give me children 
or else I die,” saw a day, when, with feeble, ex¬ 
piring breath, she named her second born 
“ Benoni — the son of my sorrow,” and departed 
from earth, leaving her two helpless ones to want 
a mother’s care and love, and perhaps wishing as 
fervently as before, that they had never been born, 
or that she might take them with her to the unseen 
world. 

She was taken from evil to come. The fear 


94 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ful trial which threatened to bring Jacob’s gray 
hairs with sorrow to the grave, she was spared. 
Her memory was most fondly cherished. Her 
children — how tenderly were they regarded 
because they were hers, and what can exceed in 
pathos and beauty her husband’s last uttered 
remembrance of his early loye, when bestowing 
on Joseph’s sons the forfeited birthright of Reu- 
ben, and, wishing to bind their hearts to the land 
of Canaan, he reminds them that it was the place 
of her death, and that her bones reposed beneath 
its soil. 

One question ever comes to us as we read of 
Rachel’s death. Hid Leah’s sorrowing heart find 
repose at length in the assurance of her husband’s 
love ? When Jacob was left alone, and comfort¬ 
less, did he turn to her for consolation, who had 
so long endured alone for his sake ? We do not 
know. From her childhood, Leah appears to have 
borne the yoke. Although she was the eldest in 
her father’s house, yet Rachel’s superior beauty 
and vivacity had cast her into the shade, and 
doubtless rendered her, as in all such cases, 
reserved and silent, and less attractive than she 


LEAH AND RACHEL. 


95 


would otherwise have been. Yet, there beamed 
ever from her eyes a loving tenderness, which 
betrayed an unusually affectionate heart, and lent 
a charm to her whole deportment which mere 
regularity of features cannot give. Oh! how 
cruelly was that affectionate, clinging heart 
doomed to suffer! How bitter was her lot! 
Forced to act a deceitful and most revolting part, 
her feelings of delicacy and maidenly propri¬ 
ety outraged by an unfeeling father, she became 
clandestinely the wife of one who sought her not, 
whom she knew to be wholly absorbed in love to 
another and fairer, but to whom she had unwit¬ 
tingly given the wealth of her own rich affections. 

From her bridal day, she was a neglected, 
unloved wife. How must the sounds of joy have 
jarred on her spirit and mocked her heart during 
the week of festivity which in the East celebrates 
a marriage. And yearning to be loved as she 
loved herself, what anguish must she have felt 
when another week gave to her husband’s arms 
one who she knew must entirely supplant her, and 
blot out every hope of winning, even by the 
utmost devotion, the heart which would now, more 


96 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


than ever, turn from her ! He might be kind to 
her, as he doubtless was. Many tokens of regard 
he would bestow upon her, and treat her with the 
respect due the oldest and first wedded wife ; but 
love her, he could not; she knew he could not. 
The cares, the toils, the suffering which marriage 
brings, shall be hers, but the rich compensation, 
the pure, overflowing, confiding love, which cheers 
and lightens care, and which woman will be a 
living martyr to w T in — this she will never know. 

But Leah, thus seemingly desolate and wretched, 
was not forsaken. The Eye that pondereth all 
hearts was a witness to her conflicts, and Almighty 
love came to her relief. A mother’s joys were 
soon in store for her, and with the prospect came 
delightful thoughts of gratitude to God, and fond 
anticipations of brighter days. 4 4 Surely the 
Lord hath looked upon my affliction ; now, there¬ 
fore, my husband will love me.” Alas! poor 
Leah ! She knew the important blessing prom¬ 
ised in Abraham’s covenant was a numerous seed, 
and she thought surely the birth of her son, so 
~ desirable an event, would win her a place in her 
husband’s heart. This hope cheered every hour 


LEAII AND RACHEL. 


97 


of weariness and suffering, and sustained her in 
her agony, and when that was past, and tidings 
were borne to Jacob that he was a father, how 
eagerly she listened for his approaching footsteps 
— with what intense earnestness she scanned the 
face so dear, to learn that she had not suffered in 

l 

vain ! Her babe was not a daughter, so lightly 
esteemed in Eastern countries. God, the God of 
his father, had bestowed the blessing, and* it was 
a son she had to give. He could not turn coldly 
from her — he must love her now. 

She was doomed to disappointment. A new 
grief weighed on her heart, and when her second 
son was given to her arms there was no hope in 
her words, but only a meek, subdued expression 
of love to Him who knew her sorrows, and had 
again appeared for her comfort. Again and again, 
sometimes hoping, sometimes desponding, but 
always in the spirit of earnest piety and a beau¬ 
tiful trust in God, she welcomed her children into< 
the world. Years rolled on. She was still a 
neglected wife, but she was no longer unhappy 
nor lonely. A song of praise to the Lord was; 
ever on her lips. Around her clustered smiling 
9 


98 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


little faces—soft hands smoothed her e-are-worn 
brow, and cooing, dove-like voices cheered her 
solitude, and called her “mother.” Six fair 
sons and a daughter grew up around her, and she 
had the consolation of knowing that distinguished 
honor was put upon her by Him who thus made 
her an instrument of fulfilling his covenant with 
her husband. So far as we know Leah’s char¬ 
acter, it was extremely lovely. No repining or 
discontented words, no rebellious or wilful ex¬ 
pressions, fell from her lips, no murmuring 
appears to have been in her heart. Once only 
the hidden conflict appears, when her sister asks 
a favor. “Is it a small matter that thou hast 
taken away my husband ? And wouldst thou 
take away my son’s mandrakes also ? ” It was 
a revealing of deep sorrows, and it melted even 
Rachel’s heart. 

Again the question returns: Did Jacob ever 
love her as she deserved to be loved ? and again 
we must answer, we do not know. She lived 
many years, fulfilling the duties of a wife and 
mother, and reposed at last in the cave of Macli- 
pelah, beside Sarah and Rebekah, with whom she 


LEAII AND RACHEL. 


99 


has doubtless been thousands of years rejoicing in 
the perfect blessedness of that world where unre¬ 
quited love is unknown — where the soul,"with 
its increasing capacities for affection, is ever 
abundantly filled and satisfied, because its portion 
is infinite. “ God only knows the love of God,” 
but they who have come up from earth, out of 
much tribulation, and have washed their robes and 
been made meet for heavenly fellowship, shall 
understand the blissful mystery of that union 
which alone is dearer and more intimate than the 
hallowed unions of earth. They who are bound 
in marriage ties here “ are of twain made one 
flesh; ” but “he that is joined to the Lord is 
one spirit .” 

IIow gracious and condescending to human in¬ 
firmities is God our heavenly Father ! IIow ready 
to gratify every reasonable desire ! If any who 
read these pages are conscious of earnest and un¬ 
satisfied wishes, let them, not in Rachel's fretful 
and rebellious spirit, but in meek and patient 
trust, with thanksgiving, make their request 
known unto him. He has written, “ The desire 
of the righteous shall be granted.” 


100 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


If any neglected, lonely wife reads with tear¬ 
ful eyes the story of Leah’s sorrow, let her turn 
to Leah’s Almighty Friend for comfort, and learn 
to say, though again and again disappointed, 
“ Still will I praise the Lord.” Let her, with 
childlike submission, receive her cup at his hands, 
and in the faithful discharge of duty wait her 
appointed time and lot. She shall not labor and 
wait in vain. If her heart finds no place of re¬ 
pose in his who should cherish and love her, she 
shall surely understand at length what is that 
perfect peace in which they are kept whose 
minds are stayed on the infinite God. If he has 
bestowed on her the inestimable blessing of chil¬ 
dren, the richest solace earth affords is already 
hers ; let her not indulge gloomy and repining 
thoughts, but let her bend all her energies to the 
task of training immortal minds, who, if she is 
faithful, shall rise up and call her blessed, and 
praise God for her care and instructions. 

In Jacob’s family were two other mothers of 
whom we have not spoken. They were servants, 
little is said of them ; yet they were cared for by 
Jehovah, and their children were sons who were 


LEAH AND RACHEL. 


101 


at length heads of four tribes in Israel. Every 
mother, however humble her position in earthly 
society, is the immediate care of God, and is 
doing his work. She knows not what mighty 
results depend on her fidelity in performing her 
allotted task. Let her train every child as if she 
heard a voice from heaven saying, Take this child 
and nurse it for me. She shall not lose her re¬ 
ward. 


9 * 


JOCHEBED. 


The hours of day are fast numbering in a hum¬ 
ble home in Goshen, a house which has gathered 
members enough to render it ever cheerful, and 
garnered sacred ties and rich affections sufficient 
to insure the greatest earthly bliss, but over which 
the hand of tyranny has cast shadows deeper 
and more dense than the gloom of night descend¬ 
ing around. The father, with aching limbs and 
a heavy heart, has returned from his toil under 
the cruel task-master, whom he, like his com¬ 
panions, has vainly striven to satisfy, and with 
slow, desponding tread enters the dwelling, lays 
aside* his outer garments, and seats himself 
moodily in the nearest corner. Two bright faces, 
however, come to welcome him, and their child¬ 
ish prattle and words of affection soon bring com¬ 
fort to his heart, and drive the look of discontent 
from his brow, and he joins in their merry glee, 
until suddenly he is attracted by the pale coun¬ 
tenance of his wife, as with languid, and evi- 


JOCHEBED. 


103 


dently painful step, she performs the slight labors 
necessary for the preparation of the evening 
meal. One glance is sufficient to assure him that 
sterner trials than any yet endured await them, 
and the time draws nigh. Gently he puts his 
children from him, and rises to give her such 
assistance as he may. No words are spoken, the 
meal is soon taken, the little ones go to their 
quiet rest, needed aid is stealthily summoned, 
the wife and mother bows herself to her anguish. 
No sound escapes her lips ; a fear more terrible 
than any throes she can experience shuts her 
mouth and stifles every groan. Even the feeble 
cry which announces the birth of her son brings 
no joy, no relief, only a greater dread. 0, hush 
him! do not let him cry ; father, friends, if ye 
have any pity, let not his voice be heard. Be¬ 
fore another setting sun; the little delicate form 
which is so precious, so dear, may furnish food 
for the cruel crocodile. Place him by her side, 
let her soothe him ; she best understands the art. 

Alas, what terrors now daily thicken about that 
mother’s path! How fails her heart at every 
approaching tread. How earnestly she portrays 


104 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


to the sorrowing Miriam the danger of betray¬ 
ing the carefully-kept secret. How constantly 
she watches lest the little Aaron should with lisp¬ 
ing tongue tell how he loves his baby brother. 
How wildly she hastens at the first sound of that 
baby voice, when he awakes from sleep ; how 
agonized she is until she succeeds in soothing and 
quieting her charge. All around she hears 
shrieks and struggles and despairing groans from 
her sisters in affliction, and misses one and an¬ 
other fair infant form from the homes they had 
blessed, and she folds her loved one closer to her 
aching breast, and wonders if she could endure 
to have him thus torn from her. She suffers, and 
yet there is in her heart a confidence that all will 
in the end be well. Not an unfounded hope, not 
a vague, undefined persuasion, but a faith in an 
Almighty Friend. Her husband has from time 
to time spoken words of cheer, and encouraged, 
by reminding her of Abraham’s God, and his 
promises made in days long past and handed 
down to them. They know that a great and 
illustrious person is to be born of Abraham’s 
seed, and may not their son be one of those 


JOCHEBED. 


105 


through whom he shall descend ? Joehebed 
looks upon the wondrous beauty of her babe, 
his strangely noble mien, and, sent by Him who 
knows all the avenues to the human heart, come 
comfort and strength, and she gives herself to 
new efforts for the preservation of the child. 

Three weary, leaden-footed months have 
passed. Her boy has gained in strength and 
comeliness, and the mother’s heart clings to him 
with an intensity of love proportioned to the 
anxiety she has felt, and the high hopes she sus¬ 
tains for him. But the time has come when she 
can conceal him no longer. The vigilance of 
their ruthless enemies is becoming too keen, and 
their strict search will soon inevitably discover 
her treasure. Who can imagine her distress, as 
the conviction forces itself upon her ? In her 
extremity she again betakes herself to the prom¬ 
ises and love of Jehovah, and reassures her 
fainting heart. Suddenly, in the hour of medi¬ 
tation and of deep darkness, a peradventure is 
suggested to her mind. 

Behold her now busily engaged in what is evi¬ 
dently a most absorbing work. From the banks 


106 


THE MOTHERS OF TIIE BIBLE. 


of the Nile she has procured the “ thirsty papy¬ 
rus,” and the necessary pitch is at hand. With 
skilful art she constructs a basket-like cradle. 
Watch the variations of her countenance as with 
the greatest care she secures every chink and 
seam, and again and again examines, to be sure 
that it is perfectly impervious to water, and suffi¬ 
ciently strong for its purpose. Anxiety, sadness, 
desperation are there, and then the lighting up 
of some stern resolve, and then a gleam of hope, 
a faint courage; then, again, the workings of 
almost unendurable grief and torturing fear. 
Anon, the brow is calmed, and the compressed 
lips relax, and holy, sublime faith gains the 
mastery over all the conflicting feelings called 
forth by her strange employment. Her task is 
ended! all that maternal tenderness could dic¬ 
tate is done to render the frail vessel com¬ 
fortable ; and, taking her babe fondly in her 
arms, with one hasty caress she lays him, in his 
rosy sleep, within the little ark." Upon her emo¬ 
tions, as she carries him from her home, and 
takes her last look on his cherub face, and leaves 
him among the weeds at the water’s edge, we 


JO C HEBEI). 


107 


cannot dwell. A confidence in God so noble as 
to be remembered and recorded centuries after, 
by an inspired apostle, and to place her, in the 
estimate of him who dictated the sacred page, 
among those 44 of whom the world was not 
worthy," sustained her in that fearful hour. 
She has used all the means within her reach to 
save him, and leaving the little Miriam to watch 
his fate at a distance, she returns to her desolate 
home. 

# # # # # 

That night found Jochebed no longer sorrow¬ 
ing and fearful, but a blessed and happy mother, 
far happier than she had ever before been. No 
harrowing anxieties now, no trembling lest the 
cry of pain or crowing laugh of joy should be¬ 
tray her child. No caution, no fear. Let who 
will step hastily by her dwelling, her cheek need 
not blanch. She is doing the bidding of a prin¬ 
cess, and receiving wages at her hand for nurs¬ 
ing that fair boy. Well may the stern-featured, 
stony-hearted men who delight in deeds of blood, 
stand a^ved and subdued before the rare beauty 
of that baby face, and wonder at the intelligence 


108 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


and dignity which are stamped on that childish 
brow. Not in vain is he thus endowed by his 
Maker. They harm him not. The mother need 
not tremble. A peace unknown before descends 
on the little household. Oppression still grinds. 
The father still toils. All around is suffering and 
war; but under that humble roof Jehovah is 
praised with a gladness which must be felt to be 
expressed. 

No words of praise has Moses bestowed on his 
mother, nor does a single line inform us of the 
nature of her instructions to him in the days 
when he was once more all her own, before “ she 
brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter and he be¬ 
came her son.” But every trait of that noble 
character which fitted him for the station he 
afterwards filled ; the meekness which made him 
the friend of God, with whom he spoke face to 
face, as he has never to any other being of mor¬ 
tal birth; the faith w T hich refused the wealth and 
honors and titles of Egypt, and preferred afflic¬ 
tion and contempt with the people of God ; the 
self-renunciation, and devotion to the glory of 
Jehovah, which led him to plead for the stiff- 


JOCHEBED. 


109 


necked children of Israel when he would destroy 
them and make of his faithful servant a great 
nation ; the dauntless courage, the unwavering 
rectitude, -— all bear witness to the instructions 
of his early years, which “the learning of the 
Egyptians,” and the fascinations of a court, had 
no power to obliterate. The mother of Israel’s 
great law-giver needs no more enduring monu¬ 
ment than the lofty virtues of her son. 

Faith ! my dear friends, such faith as they ex¬ 
ercised whose history the Bible records, 0 that 
it might animate us ! We are not called to lay 
our children on the altar of sacrifice, nor leave 
them to be whelmed in the waters of the Nile ; 
but every mother has trials to pass through, and 
duties to perform, which require the same faith 
that Abraham and Jochebed possessed, if she 
wishes to see her children standing at last fault¬ 
less before the throne. The more we study and 
come to understand the wonders God has wrought 
for those who have trusted in him, the more 
earnestly our prayer ascends, “ Lord, increase 
our faith.” 


10 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT. 


“ A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is 
passed, and as a watch in the night.” 

It often appears to us, as we study the sacred 
page, and as we contemplate the movements of 
the kingdom of grace, in these latter days, that 
the work of God in the salvation of the race of 
man makes slow and difficult progress, and we 
wonder at the tardiness and seeming want of 
success of any project which has God for its 
author and executor. But we forget that, 
although he is God all-sufficient, and can with¬ 
out doubt perform the whole good pleasure of 
his will — though all events are under his con¬ 
trol, it nevertheless pleases him to work by means 
and instrumentalities. Seldom does he “ speak 
and it is done,” as when the light first shone on 
earth. Ordinarily, if he will accomplish any¬ 
thing in the material world, he brings it about in 
the order of its natural development. If his 
dealings are with men as moral beings, he works 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT. Ill 


according to the laws of mind which himself 
ordained. 

It was now more than four hundred years since 
God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees, 
and made the covenant that through him and his 
descendants all the nations of the earth should be 
blessed, and since he first revealed his purpose of 
acquainting the world with his own glorious char¬ 
acter and will. Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, 
had long slept in the cave of Machpelah. Where 
were their descendants, and in what circum¬ 
stances ? Had the covenant been in any partic¬ 
ular fulfilled ? Was the gracious purpose fast 
being accomplished ? Not to human view. The 
children of the patriarchs, far from dwelling in 
the land of Canaan, the blessed and favored peo¬ 
ple of Jehovah, were a nation of slaves, debased 
by the most abject and cruel bondage, ignorant 
of even the name of their father’s God ; though 
remembering him as the God of Abraham, yet 
comprehending nothing concerning him save the 
bare fact of his existence among many other 
deities ; and having a vague, uncertain belief in 
the traditionary promise of his appearance in 


112 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


their behalf, and their ultimate inheritance of the 
country of Canaan. Some, indeed, among them 
seem to have had clearer ideas and a more intel¬ 
ligent faith, hut the mass of the people were 
buried in the depths of ignorance and misery. 
Around them the Egyptians, and all the other 
dwellers upon earth, were given up to the gross¬ 
est idolatry. What foothold had the kingdom of 
grace as yet gained in the world ? What had 
the Almighty been doing to advance it during 
these rolling centuries? 

If we ask reverently, we ask well, and perhaps 
a satisfactory answer may be given. In com¬ 
mencing and carrying forward the scheme of 
man's redemption, a mighty work had first to be 
done, which we seldom think of, and little appre¬ 
ciate, — a work preliminary to the first revelation 
of himself among the nations. It was not merely 
with man's ignorance of the only living, and true, 
and holy God, which grace had to contend, but 
with a state of mind and heart so utterly debased 
as to be incapable of receiving or comprehending 
for a moment any idea of such a Being. A dense 
and almost impenetrable darkness brooded over 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT. 113 


the earth. But this was not all; the visual 
organs, long accustomed only to darkness, were 
weakened and destroyed. Before light could 
benefit, the blind must be fcealed. Before God 
could reveal himself to men, their sunken, sen¬ 
sual souls must be elevated and purified, and 
made capable of understanding the revelation. 
This was a slow and tedious process. For its 
furtherance he must first train and educate, from 
the commencement of their existence, a people, 
who, being themselves thus elevated and enabled 
to receive the truths he would communicate, 
should hold them up, from generation to gener¬ 
ation, before their benighted fellow-men, and 
win all at length to know and obey. 

This, then, was the work which Jehovah 
accomplished during the long years which seem 
so fruitless to us. He had been training and 
preparing this peculiar people. Understanding 
well man’s entire nature, and what means to use 
wherewith to meet his ends, he had been steadily 
employing those means, until the destined result 
was at last attained. In the Hebrew people, a 
race singularly differing from all the other inhab¬ 
its 


114 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


itants of earth, whom he had bound to each other 
by a common descent and common sufferings, and 
whom he would bind to himself by ties of the 
most ardent gratitude and love ; who had never 
worshipped idols, and who, though entirely igno¬ 
rant of his true nature, were yet in a state to 
receive and reverence the God who would deliver 
them from their bitter afflictions; in this race, 
which he had thus brought down from his ser¬ 
vant Abraham, and prepared for his purpose by 
“ the process slow of years,” he had the instru¬ 
mentality which he needed, and without which 
he could not carry forward his gracious work. 

But some will ask, “What has all this to do 
with the Mothers of Israel ? ” Much. Among 
the instruments which he employs, God never 
forgets nor undervalues those who • usher into 
being, and to whom are committed, by his own 
ordination, the most susceptible years of all the 
men who live. It was through these mothers 
that the keenest pangs of the terrible discipline, 
through which the nation passed, was felt. Fa¬ 
thers, and husbands, and brothers, were not so 
deeply outraged, so heart-stricken, by any toil 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT. 115 


or hardship imposed on themselves, as by the 
cruel mandate which so crushed their daughters, 
wives, and sisters. Among their draughts of 
gall and wormwood none were so bitter as that 
which brought groans of anguish from every wife 
who had the prospect of becoming a mother, 
turned into a curse what they had ever esteemed 
the richest of blessings, and made the feeble cry 
of infancy — always before a note of joy — the 
most distressing sound that could fall on parental 
ears. 

And when the day of deliverance came, whose 
joy so great, whose gratitude to God so intense, 
whose obligations so binding, as those of the 
mothers of the nation ? What instruments could 
be found so effective as they would prove in the 
work of making known the glory of their De¬ 
liverer ? In what strange scenes had they learned 
his might and goodness ! One by one they had 
seen the idols of Egypt overwhelmed in ruin and 
shown to be worthless, and their awe and admi¬ 
ration were constantly, increased. But when the 
hour of retribution came, when Almighty ven¬ 
geance repaid into the bosom of every Egyptian 


116 


TIIE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


family the thrilling anguish which his people had 
suffered, when he stood forth to shield them, and 
destroy their foes, their awe and admiration 
turned to love and high devotion. In permit¬ 
ting them to be so afflicted, in avenging their 
wrongs, and in the gratitude he thus called forth, 
the far-seeing, all-wise Jehovah laid a foundation 
for the character of every Hebrew" child, and of 
the wdiole Hebrew nation, through all coming 
ages ; a character most marked and peculiar, 
and retaining its distinctive features under all 
circumstances and in every clime. From that 
day to this, every Israelitish mother, in commem¬ 
oration of those scenes in Egypt, consecrates her 
first-born child to the God of their deliverance, 
and through all their generations the command 
to rehearse in the ears of their family his 
mighty deeds, has been obeyed, and has accom¬ 
plished what he designed. Among his first 
broken sentences the IIebrew r child utters the 
solemn truth, first fully understood in Egypt, 
64 Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,” 
and from his tender infancy he hears constantly 
repeated, —“ By strength of hand the Lord 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT. 117 


brought us out from Egypt, from the house of 
bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh 
would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all 
the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the 
first-born of man and the first-born of beasts ; 
therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth 
the matrix.'’ 

Thus have the griefs of those mothers whose 
children were given to the devouring crocodile, 
and the groans of their oppressors, echoed upon 
all the shores of time, even to these distant days, 
ever bringing with them to the ear solemn and 
awful revelations of the power and avenging jus¬ 
tice of Israel’s God. The unfolding ages have 
shown him to us, as we have been by degrees 
prepared to receive him, not merely manifested 
in these sublime attributes, but in the person of 
Jesus Christ, our redeeming Saviour, our Advo¬ 
cate and Friend, rejoicing to own the title which 
the pious soul delights to give him, and which 
looks back through the long vista of rites and 
ceremonies to that awful night when the hope of 
Egypt fell, and the chosen people were spared — 
“ The first-horn among many brethren .” 


118 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Nor shall these reverberations cease. Through 
coming years, and amid the crash of earth's dis¬ 
solution, shall be heard from the eternal hills the 
immortal song of the church of the first-horn 
which are written in heaven, chanting of deliv¬ 
erance from a worse than Egyptian bondage, and 
of a more glorious Passover than any celebrated 
by Jewish service. 

The mothers of this favored land may learn a 
deeply interesting lesson from this page of the 
divine word, and especially from that command 
of God with regard to the instruction of every 
Hebrew’ child. Rehearse in the ears of your 
child, Christian mother, the story of His mighty 
deeds. From day to day store the young mind 
with fresh knowledge of the wonders God hath 
wrought. Call forth his childish admiration ; 
teach him to bow with reverence before the great 
name of his Maker. But, more than all, tell him 
the story of redeeming love. Let the life of the 
infant Saviour, the story of the boy of twelve 
years in the temple, the love of the man Christ 
Jesus, be repeated in his ears, until they are 
familiar as household words. Remember the Jew- 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT. 119 


ish mothers, and the result of their unwearied 
teachings. With them, nothing is second to this 
command of their God, and their children never 
lose the impress of maternal instructions. Their 
strangely uniform character is a powerful com¬ 
ment on the wisdom of Jehovah in directing them 
to be thus taught. 



ZIPPORAH. 


In the mountainous and wild region which lies 
around Iloreb and Sinai, were found, in the days 
of that Pharaoh whose court was the home of 
Israel’s law-giver, many descendants of Abraham, 
children of one of the sons which Keturah bore 
him in his old age. We know little of them ; 
but here and there on the sacred page they are 
mentioned, and we gain brief glimpses of their 
character and of the estimation in which they 
were held by Jehovah. Like all the other na¬ 
tions of the time, they were mostly idolaters, 
against whom he threatened vengeance for their 
inventions and abominations. But among them 
were found some families who evidently retained 
a knowledge of Abraham’s God, and who, al¬ 
though they did not offer him a pure worship, 
44 seem, nevertheless, to have been imbued with 
sentiments of piety, and intended to serve him 
so far as they were acquainted with his character 
and requirements.” For these, from time to 


ZIPPORAH. 


121 


time, a consecrated priest stood before the altar, 
offering sacrifices which were, doubtless, accepted 
in heaven, since sincerity prompted and the 
spirit of true obedience animated the worshippers. 

In the family of this priest, who was also a 
prince among his people, a stranger was at one 
time found, who had suddenly appeared in Mid- 
ian, and, for a slight kindness shown to certain 
members of the household, had been invited to 
sojourn with them, and make one of the domestic 
circle. He was an object of daily increasing 
interest to all around him. Whence had he 
come ? Why was he thus apparently friendless 
and alone ? Wherefore was his countenance sad 
and thoughtful, and his heart evidently so far 
away from present scenes ? Seven sisters dwelt 
beneath the paternal roof, and we can readily 
imagine the eagerness with which they discussed 
these questions and watched the many interviews 
between him and their father, which seemed of a 
most important character. The result was not 
long kept from them. Moses was henceforth to 
perform what had been their daily task, and, as 
his reward, was to sustain the relation of son, 
11 


122 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


husband, and “brother, in the little circle. Zip- 
porali, whether willingly or reluctantly we are 
not told, became the wife of the silent man ; nor 
has he, in the record which he has left, given us 
any account of those forty years of quiet domes¬ 
tic life, which he spent watching his flocks amid 
the mountain solitudes, and in intercourse with 
the “ priest of Midian,” and during which, 
taught of that God who chose him before all 
other men, as a familiar friend, he was daily 
learning lessons of mighty wisdom, and gaining 
that surpassing excellence of character which has 
made his name immortal. Was the wife whom 
he had chosen, the worthy daughter of her father 
and a fit companion for such a husband ? Did 
they take sweet counsel together, and could she 
share his noble thoughts ? Did she listen with 
tearful eyes to his account of the woes of his peo¬ 
ple, and rejoice with him in view of the glorious 
scenes of deliverance which he anticipated ? Did 
she appreciate the sublime beauties which so 
captivated and enthralled his soul as he pored 
over the pages of that wonderful poem which 
portrays the afflictions of the man of Uz ? Did 


ZIPPORAH. 


123 


she worship and love the God of their common 
father with the same humility and faith ? We 
cannot answer one of the many questions which 
arise in our minds. All w r e know is, that Zippo- 
rah was Moses' wife, and the mother of Moses' 
sons, and we feel that hers was a favored lot, and 
involuntarily yield her the respect which her sta¬ 
tion would demand. 

Silently the appointed years sped. The great 
historian found in them no event, bearing upon 
the interests of the kingdom of God, worthy of 
note, and our gleanings are small. At their close 
he was again found in close consultation with 
Jethro, and with his consent, and in obedience 
to the divine mandate, the exile once more 
turned his steps toward the land of his birth. 
Zipporah and their sons, with asses and attend¬ 
ants, accompanied him, and their journey was 
apparently prosperous until near its close, when 
a strange and startling providence arrested them.* 
An alarming disease seized upon Gershom, the 
eldest son, and at the same time intimations not 

* The construction put upon this passage is taken from Bush’s 
Commentary on Exodus, which see. 


124 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


to be mistaken convinced his parents that it was 
sent in token of divine displeasure for long-neg¬ 
lected duty. God’s eye is ever on his children, 
and though he is forbearing, he will not forever 
spare the chastening rod, if they live on in diso¬ 
bedience to his commands. Both Moses and Zip- 
porah knew what was the appointed seal of God’s 
covenant with Abraham, and we cannot under¬ 
stand why they so long deferred including their 
children in that covenant. We do not know how 
many times conscience may have rebuked them, 
nor what privileges they forfeited, but we are 
sure they were not blessed as faithful servants 
are. Now there was no delaying longer. The 
proof of God’s disapprobation was not to be mis¬ 
taken, and they could not hesitate if they would 
preserve the life of their child. “ There is, 
doubtless, something abhorrent to our ideas of 
propriety in a mother’s performing this rite upon 
an adult son,” for Gershom was at this time, 
probably, more than thirty years of age; but we 
must ever bear in mind that she was complying 
with “ a divine requisition,” and among a people, 
and in a state of society, whose sentiments and 


ZIPPORAH. 


125 


usages were very different from ours. Her duty 
performed, she solemnly admonished Gershom 
that he was now espoused to the Lord by this 
significant rite, and that this bloody seal should 
ever remind him of the sacred relation. The 
very moment neglected obligations are cheerfully 
assumed, that moment does God smile upon his 
child. He accepts, and upbraids not. The frown 
which but now threatened precious life has fled, 
and his children rejoice in new found peace, and 
in that peculiar outflowing of tenderness, humil¬ 
ity and love, which ever follows upon repentance, 
reparation and forgiveness. 

For some reason, to us wholly inexplicable', 
Moses seems to have sent his family back to the 
home which they had just left, before reaching 
Egypt, and they resided with Jethro until the 
tribes, having passed through all the tribulations 
which had been prophesied for them, made their 
triumphant exodus from the land of bondage and 
encamped at the foot of Sinai. Jethro, who 
seems to have taken a deep interest in the mis¬ 
sion of Moses, immediately on hearing of their 
arrival, took his daughter and her sons to rejoin 
11 * 


126 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


the husband and father from whom they had 
been long separated. Touching and delightful 
was the reunion, and we love to linger over the 
few days which Zippo rail’s father spent with her, 
in this their last interview on earth. The aged 
man listened with wonder and joy to the recital 
of all that Jehovah had wrought. He found his 
faith confirmed and his soul strengthened, and 
doubtless felt it a great privilege to leave his 
child among those who were so evidently under 
the protection of the Almighty, and before whom 
he constantly walked in the pillar of fire and 
cloud. With a father’s care and love, he gave 
such counsel as he saw his son-in-law needed, 
and after uniting with the elders in solemn sacri¬ 
fice and worship, in which he assumed his priestly 
office, he departed to his own land. We seem 
to see Zipporali, as with tearful eyes she watched 
his retreating footsteps, and felt that she should 
see her father’s face no more on earth. Not 
without fearful struggles are the ties which bind 
a daughter to her parents sundered, though as a 
wife she cleaves to her husband, and strives, for 
his sake, to repress her tears and hide the an- 


ZIPPORAH. 


127 


guish she cannot subdue. One comfort, how¬ 
ever, remained to Zipporah. Soothingly fell on 
her ear the invitation of her husband to her 
brother, the companion of her childhood : “We 
are journeying unto the place of which the Lord 
said, I will give it you: come thou with us and 
we will do thee good ; for the Lord hath spoken 
good concerning Israel.” Deprecatingly she 
doubtless looked upon him, as he answered, “ I 
will not go, but I will depart to mine own land, 
and to my kindred and united in the urgent 
entreaty, “ Leave us not, I pray thee ; foras¬ 
much as thou knowest how we are to encamp in 
the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead 
of eyes.” Heartfelt joy shone in her counte¬ 
nance as he acquiesced and made preparation to 
accompany them ; and we are glad for her, and 
feel that with her husband and brother near, on 
whom to lean, she must have been cheered, and 
the bitterness of her final separation from home 
alleviated. 

Feelings of personal joy or grief were soon, 
however, banished from her mind by the mighty 
wonders which were displayed in the desert, and 


128 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


by the absorbing scenes which transpired while 
Israel received the law, and were prepared to 
pursue their way to Canaan. Of her after his¬ 
tory we gather little, and the time of her death 
is not mentioned. One affliction, not uncommon 
in this evil world, fell to her lot. Her husband’s 
family were unfriendly and unkind to her, and 
she was the occasion of their reproach and ridi¬ 
cule. But she was happy in being the wife of 
one meek above all the men upon the earth, and 
she was vindicated by God himself. What were 
her hopes in prospect of seeing the promised 
land, in common with all the nation, or whether 
she lived to hear the terrible command of God to 
Moses, “ Avenge Israel of the Midianites,” we 
do not know. The slaughter of her people may 
have caused her many a pang, and she probably 
went to her rest long before the weary forty 
years were ended. She has a name and a place 
on the sacred page, she w T as a wife and mother, 
and, though hers is a brief memorial, yet, if 
we have been led to study the word of God more 
earnestly, because we would fain learn more con¬ 
cerning her, that memorial is not useless. 


THE MOTHERS OE ISRAEL AT HOREB. 


We beg those of our readers who have had the 
patience to follow us thu's far in our study, now 
to open their Bibles, unsatisfied with the meagre 
thoughts which we are able to furnish, and, earn¬ 
estly invoking the aid of that Spirit who indited 
the sacred pages, bend diligently to the work of 
ascertaining the real interest which we and all 
the mothers of earth have in the scenes which 
transpired at the foot of Iloreb’s holy mount. To 
the instructions there uttered, the mighty ones of 
every age, the founders of empires, statesmen, 
lawgivers, philanthropists, patriots, and wise men, 
have sought for their noblest conceptions, and 
their most beneficent regulations, and it would be 
impossible to estimate the influence of those 
instructions upon all the after history of the 
world. But if the Almighty there revealed him¬ 
self as the God of kingdoms, the all-wise and 
infinitely good Ruler of men in a national capac¬ 
ity, not less did he make himself known as the 


130 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


God of the family; and his will there made 
known, regulating the mutual relations of parents 
and children, has been at once the foundation 
and bulwark of all that has been excellent or 
trustworthy in family government from that day 
to this. 

It is impossible, in the brief space allotted to 
us, that we should begin to give any adequate 
view of the subject which here opens before us, or 
follow out fully a single one of the many trains 
of thought to which it gives rise. 

At Horeb, Jehovah, amid fire and smoke, and 
in that voice which so filled with terror all that 
heard, first inculcated the duty of filial piety on 
all the future generations of men. Filial piety ! 
how much it implies. It stands at the head of 
the duties enjoined from man to man. It comes 
next in order to those which man owes to his 
Maker. It inculcates on the part of children 
toward their parents feelings akin to those which 
he has required toward himself, and far surpassing 
any which he demands toward any other human 
being. It speaks of reverence, of a love supe¬ 
rior to ordinary affection, of unqualified submis- 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL AT HOREB. 131 


sion and obedience. “ Honor thy father and thy 
mother” is the solemn command, and the com¬ 
ments which infinite wisdom has made on it, 
scattered up and down on the pages of inspira¬ 
tion, throw light on its length and breadth, and 
on the heinous nature of the sin which is com¬ 
mitted in its infringement. “ Ye shall fear every 
man his mother and his father, and keep my 
Sabbaths ; I am the Lord.” In the Jewish law, 
a man who smote his neighbor must be smitten 
in return ; but “ he that smiteth father or mother 
shall be surely put to death.” “ He that curseth,” 
or, as it more exactly reads, “ he that disparages 
or speaks lightly of his parents, or uses contempt¬ 
uous language to them, shall surely be put to 
death.” “ If a man have a stubborn and rebellious 
son, which will not obey the voice of his father or 
the voice of his mother, and who, when they have 
chastised him, will not hearken unto them, then 
shall his father and his mother lay hold of him and 
bring him to the elders of the city, and unto the 
gate of his place. And they shall say unto the 
elders of the city, This our son is stubborn and re¬ 
bellious ; he will not obey our voice. And all the 


132 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


men of the city shall stone him with stones that 
he die ; so shalt thou put away evil from among 
you, that all Israel shall hear and fear.” 

Still more fearful is the practical commentary 
upon this solemn command, given in Ezekiel 22 : 
7, when Jehovah, in enumerating the crying sins 
which demanded his vengeance on the people, 
and brought upon them the terrible calamities of 
long captivity, says, “In thee have they set light 
by father and mother.” 

But some one will say, You profess to be speak¬ 
ing to parents,'and this command is given to chil¬ 
dren. True, friend, but the duty required of 
children implies a corresponding duty on the part 
of parents. Who shall teach children to rever¬ 
ence that father and mother in whose character 
there is nothing to call forth such a sentiment ? 
“ Though children are not absolved from the obli¬ 
gation of this commandment by the misconduct 
of their parents, yet, in the nature of things, it is 
impossible that they should yield the same hearty 
respect and veneration to the unworthy as to the 
worthy, nor does God require a child to pay an 
irrational honor to his parents. If his parents 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL AT IIOREB. 133 


are atheists, he cannot honor them as Christians. 
If they are prayerless and profane, he cannot 
honor them as religious. If they are worldly, 
avaricious,* overreaching, unscrupulous as to vera¬ 
city and honest dealing, he cannot honor them as 
exemplary, upright, conscientious and spiritually- 
minded. ” 

If parents only say, like Eli, in feeble accents, 
“ Nay, my sons ; for it is no good report that I 
hear. Why do ye such things ?” they will not 
only have disobedient and irreverent children, but 
often, if not always, they will be made to under¬ 
stand that their sin is grievous in the sight of 
God, and he will say of each of them also, “I 
will judge his house forever for the iniquity which 
he knoweth, because his sons made themselves 
vile and he restrained them not” “ And therefore 
have I sworn unto the house of Eli, that the 
iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with 
sacrifice nor offering forever.” 

Unto parents God has committed the child, in 
utter helplessness, weakness, and ignorance, — 
an unformed being. The power and the knowl¬ 
edge are theirs, and on their side is He, the al 
12 


134 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


mighty and infinitely wise, with his-Spirit and his 
laws and his promises. If they are faithful; if 
from the first they realize their responsibility, and 
the advantages of their position, can-the result 
be doubtful ? But they will not be faithful ; 
imperfection is stamped on all earthly character, 
and they will fail in this as in all other duties. 
What then ? Blessed be God, the Gospel has a 
provision for erring parents. If Sinai thunders, 
Calvary whispers peace. For men, as sinners, 
the righteousness of Christ prevails, and for sin¬ 
ners, as parents, not less shall it be found suf¬ 
ficient. Line and plummet can soon measure the 
extent of human perfection, but they cannot 
fathom the merit of that righteousness, which, 
when laid side by side with the most holy law, 
shows no deficiency. If, then, we find ourselves 
daily coming short of the terms of that covenant 
which God has made with us as parents, we 
need not despair of his fulfilling his part, for 
we can plead our Surety’s work, and that is ever 
acceptable in his eyes, and answers all his de¬ 
mands. 

Let not, however, the negligent and wilfully 


THE MOTHERS OF ISRAEL AT IIOREB. 135 


ignorant, parent conclude tliat the spotless robe 
of the perfect Saviour will he thrown as a shield 
over his deficiencies and deformity. Let not 
those who have blindly and carelessly entered on 
parental duties, without endeavoring to ascertain 
the will of God and the requirements of his law, 
expect that the blessing of obedient and sanc¬ 
tified children will crown their days. Let not 
those who suffer their children to grow up around 
them like weeds, without religious culture or 
pruning, who demand no obedience, who com¬ 
mand no reverence, who offer no earnest, cease¬ 
less prayer, let them not suppose that the blessing 
of the God who spoke from Iloreb will come upon 
their families. “ He is in one mind, and who can 
turn him ? ” Not an iota has he abated from his 
law since that fearful day. Not less sinful in his 
eyes is disobedience to parents now, than when 
he commanded the rebellious son to be “ stoned 
with stones until he died.” Yet, how far below 
his standard are the ideas even of many Christian 
parents! “How different,” says Wilberforce, 
“nay, in many respects, how contradictory, 
would be the two systems of mere morals, of 


136 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


which the one should be formed from the com¬ 
monly-received maxims of the Christian world, 
and the other from the study of the holy Scrip¬ 
tures ;” and we are never more forcibly impressed 
with this difference than when we see it exem¬ 
plified in this solemn subject. 

The parents who stood at Horeb learned that 
God required them to train their children to im¬ 
plicit and uncompromising obedience, and he who 
closely studies the word of God can find no other 
or lighter requisition. How will the received 
opinions and customs of this age compare with 
the demand. 

We ask our young friends, who may perchance 
glance over these pages, to pause a moment and 
consider : If capital punishment should now be 
inflicted on every disobedient child, how many 
roods of earth would be planted with the instru¬ 
ments of death ? If every city were doomed to 
destruction in which the majority of sons and 
daughters “set light by father and mother,” how 
many would remain ? To every child living comes 
a voice, “Know thou that for all these things God 
will bring thee into judgment.” 


THE WIDOWED MOTHERS OF ISRAEL AT 
IIOREB. 


There is no path of duty appointed for man to 
tread, concerning which the Almighty has not 
expressed his will in terms so plain that the sin¬ 
cere inquirer may always hear a voice behind 
him saying, “ This is the way, walk ye in it; ” 
nor are there any relations of life, nor any hu¬ 
man affections, which he has not constituted and 
bestowed, nor any disappointment of those affec¬ 
tions for which he has not manifested a sympathy 
so sincere, that the desolate and heart-stricken 
may always say, “ Earth has no sorrow that 
heaven cannot heal.” 

Yet it is something difficult for us to realize, in 
our hours of darkness and despondency, that to¬ 
ward us personally and individually the great 
heart of Infinite Love yearns with tenderness and 
pity. Even if we can-say, “ Though clouds and 
darkness are round about him, justice and judg¬ 
ment are the habitation of his throne,” and can 
12 # 


188 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


acquiesce meekly in all liis dispensations, and 
believe sincerely that they will work for our good, 
yet we often fail of the blessedness which might 
be ours, if we could be equally assured that, 
“As a father pitieth his children , so doth the Lord 
pity them that fear him.” This assurance only 
the faithful student of the Bible can feel, as the 
great truth gleams forth upon him from time to 
time, illuming “ dark affliction's midnight gloom" 
with rays celestial, and furnishing balm for every 
wound, the balm of sympathy and love. 

We often hear it said by those who even pro¬ 
fess themselves Christians, and devout lovers of 
the sacred oracles, “ How can you read the book 
of Leviticus ? What can you find in the dry de¬ 
tails of the ceremonial law to detain you months 
in its study, and call forth such expressions of 
interest ? ” Such will probably pass by this ar¬ 
ticle when they find themselves invited again to 
Horeb. Turn back, friends. You are not the 
only ones who have excused themselves from a 
feast. And we, we will extend our invitation to 
others. On the by-ways and lanes they can be 
found ; in every corner of this wide-spread earth 


THE WIDOWED MOTHERS AT HOREB. 139 


are some for whom our table is prepared. We 
leave the prosperous, the gay, the happy, and 
speak to the desolate, the widowed. 

Dearly beloved, you who can look hack to a 
day in your history over which no cloud lowered, 
when you wore the bridal wreath, and stood at 
the sacred altar, and laid your hand in a hand 
faithful and true, and pledged vows of love, and 
when hope smiled on all your future path ; but 
who have lived to see all you then deemed most 
precious, laid beneath the clods of the valley, 
and have exchanged buds of orange for the most 
intensely sable of earthly weeds ; you who once 
walked on your earthly journey in sweet compan¬ 
ionship which brightened your days; w 7 ho were 
wont to lay your weary head every night on the 
faithful, “ pillowing breast,” and there forget 
your woes and cares, but who are now alone ; 
you who trusted in manly counsel and guidance 
for your little ones, but who now shed bitter, un¬ 
availing tears in every emergency which reminds 
you that they are fatherless ; and, worse than all, 
you who had all your wants supplied by the lov¬ 
ing, toiling husband and father, but have now to 


140 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


contend single-handed with poverty ; come, sor¬ 
rowing, widowed hearts, visit with us Horeb’s 
holy mount. It is, indeed, a barren spot; nev¬ 
ertheless it has blossoms of loveliness for you. 
Come in faith, and perchance the prophet’s vision 
shall be yours; peradventure, the 4 4 still small 
voice,” which bade to rest the turmoil of his soul, 
shall soothe your griefs also. The words which 
are heard from its summit, as Jehovah gives to 
Moses his directions, have indeed to do with 
“meats and drinks and divers washings,” yet, if 
you listen intently, you will now and then hear 
those, which, as the expression of your heavenly 
Father’s heart, will amply repay the toil of the 
ascent. Draw near and hearken : 

44 Ye shall not afflict any widow nor fatherless 
child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they 
cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, 
and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you 
with the sword ; and your wives shall be widows, 
your children fatherless.” 

Will you not now be comforted ? 4 4 The Eter¬ 
nal makes your sorrows his own,” and himself 
stands forth as your protector against every ill 


THE WIDOWED MOTHERS AT HOREB. 141 


He speaks in your behalf to all around you. How 
fearfully stern the tones in which he bids them 
beware how they injure you ! How secure a 
refuge he affords you from every form of human 
aggression on your rights or happiness ! Would 
any wrest from you by fraud or violence your little 
store of earthly goods; appeal to him. Does the 
tongue of slander seek to take from you your 
good name ; tell him your grief, as you would 
have told it to the husband whose honor was con¬ 
cerned to defend you. In whatever way your 
fellow-creatures distress you, or try your patience, 
or disturb your peace, his ear is ever open to 
hear your complaint, his word is pledged to re¬ 
dress the wrong. 

Listen again! 

“ When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy 
field, and hast forgotten thy sheaf in the field, 
thou shalt not go again to fetch it, but it shall be 
for the stranger, and the fatherless, and the 
widow, that the Lord thy God may bless thee in 
all the works of thy hands.” 

Not only has Jehovah undertaken to secure 
you against evils which might be inflicted by 


142 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


human means, but he also designs to guard you 
against pinching want and poverty. If his will is 
done you will not suffer. He does not indeed 
command ravens to feed you, but he does lay his 
injunctions on every one of his children to pro¬ 
vide for you, if you are in need. Those who 
obey him, and wish to please him, will be always 
ready to aid you for his sake. He bids every 
Israelite bring a certain portion of his possessions 
to furnish the table of the Lord, and assuring 
you that he considers you his own, and will per¬ 
form the part of husband and father for you, at 
that table, and in his own house, he provides for 
you ever a place. In the tithes of wine, corn 
and oil, the firstlings of the herds and flocks, in all 
that is to be devoted to the service of the Lord, 
you have your share. 

“At the end of three years thou shalt bring 
forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year 
and lay it up within the gates. And the Levite, 
because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee, 
and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the 
widow, which are within thy gates, shall come 
and eat and he satisfied, that the Lord thy God 


THE WIDOWED MOTHERS AT HOREB. 143 


may bless thee in all the work of thine hand 
which thou doest." 

Do you sorrowfully say that no such table is 
now spread ? But He who thus provided, still 
lives, and is the same as then. The silver and 
the gold are his, and the cattle upon a thousand 
hills, and he ruleth all things by the word of his 
power. They that trust in him shall never be 
confounded. 

“ Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the 
stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take the 
widow's raiment to pledge." Why? Because 
they have no earthly friend to redeem the latter, or 
plead for the former. Weak and unguarded, they 
are exposed to all these evils, but He, the Eter¬ 
nal, takes them under his own especial care ; 
and instead of compelling them to depend on the 
insecure tenure of man's compassion, or even 
justice, institutes laws for their benefit, the dis¬ 
obedience of which is sin against himself." 

Scattered through all the sacred volume are 
words which, equally with those we have quoted, 
speak forth Jehovah’s interest in the helpless. 
“ Leave thy fatherless children to me," he said, 


144 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


by his prophet Jeremiah, at a time when misery, 
desolation, and destruction, were falling on Judea 
and her sons for their awful impiety. “ Leave 
thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive ; 
and let thy widows trust in me.” “ A father of 
the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God 
in his holy habitation.” 

0, do we receive the full import of these soul- 
cheering words ? Lone, solitary one ! who hides! 
in thy heart a grief which, untasted, cannot be 
understood; there is a Being, sitting on the circle 
of the heavens, who knows every pang thou en- 
durest. He formed thee susceptible of the love 
which thou hast felt and enjoyed; himself or¬ 
dained the tie which bound thee. lie, better 
than any other, comprehends thy loss. Dost thou 
doubt. Study faithfully his word; obey his voice; 
yield thy heart to him, and trust him implicitly. 
He will prove himself able to bless thee in thine 
inmost soul. The avenues to that soul are all 
open to him, and he can cause such gentle, 
soothing influences to flow in upon thee as shall 
make thee “ sing even as in the days of thy 
youth.’ ’ 


THE WIDOWED MOTHERS AT HOREB. 145 


Fatherless child! whose heart fails thee when 
thou dost miss from every familiar place the guide 
of thy youth ; faint not nor be discouraged, 
iliougli the way is rough, and the voice that 
ever spoke tenderly to thee is silent. Thou hast 
a Father in heaven; and he who calls himself 
such, understands better than thou what is im¬ 
plied in that sacred name. Tell him thy woes 
and wants. 

“ Thou art as much his care, as if beside 
Nor man nor angel lived in heaven or earth.” 

13 


NAOMI AND RUTII. 


It would be only presumption in us to attempt 
giving, in any other than the beautifully simple 
words of Scripture, the story of Ruth and her 
mother-in-law. The narration is inimitable, and 
needs nothing to make it stand out like a picture 
before the mind. Suffice it, then, that now we 
attend only to the lessons which may be gathered 
from it, and endeavor to profit by them through 
all our coming lives. Nor let any think the les¬ 
sons afforded by these four short chapters few or 
easily acted upon, though they may be soon com¬ 
prehended. They will amply repay earnest study 
and persevering practice. 

The first thing which wins our admiration is 
Ruth’s faith. She had been educated in the 
degrading worship of Chemosh, the supreme 
deity of Moab. Probably no conception of the 
one living God had been formed in her mind 
until her acquaintance with the Jewish youth, 
the son of Elimelech and Naomi. How long she 


NAOMI AND RUTH. 


147 


had the happiness of a wife we are not informed. 
We know it was only a few years. But during 
that period she had learned to put such confi¬ 
dence in Jehovah, that she was willing to forsake 
country and friends, even the home of her child¬ 
hood and beloved parents, and go forth with her 
mother-in-law to strange scenes, and willing to 
brave penury and vicissitude, that she might be 
numbered among his people. Firmly she ad¬ 
hered to her resolution. The entreaties of 
Naomi — the thought of her mother — the pros¬ 
pects which might await her in her own land — 
even the retreating form of Orphah—nothing had 
power to prevail over her desire to see Canaan 
and unite in the worship of her husband’s God. 
“The Lord recompense thy work,” said Boaz 
to her, “ and a full reward be given thee of the 
Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art 
come to trust.” He is not unfaithful, and that 
reward was made sure. “ Of the life that now 
is ” the promise speaks, and it was fulfilled to 
her. Of an undying, honorable name it says 
nothing, but that is also awarded her. “ Upon 
a monument which has already outlasted thrones 


148 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


and empires, and which shall endure until there 
be a new heaven and a new earth — upon the 
front page of the New Testament is inscribed the 
name of Ruth. Of her came David — of her 
came a long line of illustrious and good men — • 
of her came Christ.” 

Why will we not learn, why will w r e not 
daily and constantly act upon the truth that im¬ 
plicit faith is pleasing to God ? “ None of them 

that trust in him shall be desolate.” 

There is a fund of instruction, also, in the few 
glimpses which we gain of the intercourse of 
Naomi and Ruth, as they journey on, and after 
their arrival in Canaan. ITow does the law of 
love dictate and pervade every word and action ! 
Naomi had once been an honored wife and 
mother in Judah, and far above the reach of 
want. But in “ the days when the judges 
ruled,” those days during which “ every man did 
that which was right in his own eyes,” her husband 
had deserted his people ; and now on her return 
she was probably penniless, her inheritance sold 
until the year of jubilee, and she in her old age, 
unable by her own efforts to gain a subsistence. 


NAOMI AND RUTH. 


149 


The poor in Israel were not forlorn, but it re¬ 
quired genuine humility on Ruth's part, and a 
sincere love for her mother-in-law, to induce her 
to avail herself of the means provided. She hesi¬ 
tated not. It was “ in the beginning of the 
barley harvest ” that they came to Bethlehem, 
and as soon as they were settled, apparently in a 
small and humble tenement, she went forth to 
glean in some field after th^reapers, not know¬ 
ing how it would fare with her, but evidently 
feeling that all depended on her labors. The 
meeting of the mother and daughter at the close 
of that important day is touching indeed. The 
joy with which the aged Naomi greets her only 
solace, and the kind and motherly care with 
which she brings the remains of her own scanty 
meal, which she had laid aside ; her eager ques¬ 
tions, and Ruth’s cheerful replies as she lays 
down her burden and relates the pleasant events 
of the day — what gratitude to God, what 
dawning hopes, what a delightful spirit of love, 
appear through all! And, as days pass, how ten¬ 
derly does Naomi watch over the interests of her 
child, and how remarkable is the deference to 
13* 


150 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


her wishes which ever animates Ruth! Even in 
the matter of her marriage, — a subject on which 
young people generally feel competent to judge 
for themselves, — she is governed entirely by her 
mother’s directions. “ All that thou sayest unto 
me I will do.” Said a young lady in our hear¬ 
ing, not long since, “ When I am married I shall 
desire that my husband may have no father or 
mother.” This is not an unusual wish, nor is it 
uttered in all cases lightly and without reason. 
We know of a mother who would never consent 
that her only son should bring his wife to dwell 
under her roof, although she was entirely satis¬ 
fied with his choice, and was constantly doing 
all in her power to promote their happiness. 
What were her reasons ? She was a conscien¬ 
tious Christian and fond mother, but she would 
not risk their mutual happiness. She felt herself 
unable to bear the test, and she was unwilling to 
subject her children to it. Often do we hear 
expressions of pity bestowed on the young wife 
who is so “unfortunate” as to be compelled to 
live with her mother-in-law, and many are the 
sighs, and nods, and winks of gossip among the 


NAOMI AND RUTH. 


151 


mothers-in-law themselves over the trials which 
some of their number endure from their sons' 
wives. Why is all this ? The supreme selfish¬ 
ness of our human nature must answer. Having 
a common love for one object, the mother for her 
son, the wife for her husband, they should be 
bound by strong ties, and their mutual interests 
should produce mutual kindness and sympathy ; 
and this would always be the case if each were 
governed by the spirit of the Gospel. But, alas! 
love of self, rather than the pure love inculcated 
by Jesus Christ, most often rules. Brought to¬ 
gether from different paths, unlike, it may be, in 
natural temperament, perhaps differing in opin¬ 
ion, the mother wishing to retain her wonted 
control over her son, the wife feeling hers the 
superior claim, there springs up a contest which 
is the fruitful source of unhappiness, and which 
mars many an otherwise fine character. Before 
us in memory’s glass, as we write, sits one of a 
most fair and beautiful countenance, but over 
which hang dark clouds of care, and from the 
eyes drop slowly, bitter tears. She is what all 
around her would call a happy wife and mother. 


152 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Fortune smiles upon her, and the blessing of God 
abides by the hearth-stone. Her husband is a 
professing Christian, as is also his yet youthful- 
looking mother, and the wife herself. Beautiful 
children gambol around her, and look wonder- 
ingly in her face as they see those tears. What 
is the secret of her unhappiness ? She deems 
hers a very hard lot, and yet, if we rightly judge, 
could her sorrow be resolved to its elements, it 
would be found that the turmoil of her spirit is 
occasioned solely by the fact that she finds it 
hard to maintain her fancied rights, her desired 
superiority over her husband and servants, be¬ 
cause of the presence of her calm, firm, dignified 
mother-in-law, whose very lips seem chiselled to 
indicate that they speak only to be obeyed. What 
would be the result if the tender, considerate 
love of Naomi, and the yielding spirit of Euth 
were introduced to the bosom of each ? 

We cannot leave this record of Holy Writ 
without commenting, also, on the remarkable 
state of society which existed in Bethlehem in 
those far distant days. When Naomi returned 
after an absence of ten years, — an absence 


NAOMI AND RUTH. 


153 


which to many might have seemed very culpable, 
— with what enthusiastic greetings was she re¬ 
ceived. “ The whole city was moved .’ 9 It made 
no difference that she “ went out full, but had 
returned empty nor did they stop to consider 
that “ the Lord had testified against her.” The 
truest sympathy was manifested for her, and for 
the stranger who had loved her and clung to her. 
In her sorrow they clustered around to comfort 
her, and when the bright reverse gave her again 
an honored name and “ a restorer of her life ” in 
her young grandson, they were eager to testify 
their joy. The apostolic injunction, “ Kejoice 
with them that do rejoice, and weep with them 
that weep,” seems to have been strictly obeyed 
in Bethlehem. The distinctions of society, al¬ 
though as marked apparently as in our own time, 
seem not to have caused either unhappiness or 
the slightest approach to unkind or unchristian 
feeling. Witness the greeting between Boaz and 
the reapers on his harvest field. “ And behold 
Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the 
reapers, The Lord be with you. And they 
answered him, The Lord bless thee.” Boaz was 


154 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


“a mighty man of wealth;” he had his hired 
workmen around him, and in the same field was 
found the poor “ Moabitish damsel,” gleaning 
here and there the scattered ears, her only de¬ 
pendence. Yet we find them all sitting together 
in the hut which was erected for shelter, and 
eating together the parched grain which was 
provided for the noon’s refreshment, while Boaz 
enters into a conversation with Ruth which indi¬ 
cates his truly noble and generous character, and 
speaks words which are like balm to the sorrow¬ 
ing spirit. “ Thou hast comforted me and spoken 
to the heart of thy handmaid,” she said as she 
rose to leave the tent, and felt herself no longer 
a stranger, since one so excellent and so exalted 
in station appreciated and sympathized with her. 
We see little in these Gospel days and in this 
favored land which will compare with the genu¬ 
ine kindliness which breathes in every word and 
act recorded in the book of Ruth. 

But the most surprising revelation is made in 
the account which follows the scene in the tent. 
What exalted principle, what respect for wo¬ 
man, what noble virtue must have characterized 


NAOMI AND RUTH. 


155 


those among whom a mother could send her 
daughter at night to perform the part assigned to 
Ruth, apparently without a fear of evil, and 
receive her again, not only unharmed, but under¬ 
stood, honored, and wedded, by the man to whom 
she was sent, and that notwithstanding her foreign 
birth and dependent situation, and fettered with 
the condition that her first-born son must bear 
the name, and be considered the child of a dead 
man! 

We have friends who will fasten their faith on 
the New Testament only, and can see nothing in 
the Old akin to it in precept or spirit. We com¬ 
mend to them the Book of Ruth. 


HANNAH. 


Imagination can picture no more animating 
scenes than those which were presented to the 
beholder at the seasons of the year when Judea 
poured forth her inhabitants in crowds to attend 
the solemn festivals appointed by Jehovah, and 
observed with punctilious exactness by the people. 
Our present study leads us to contemplate one of 
these scenes. 

From some remote town on the borders of 
Gentile territory the onward movement commences. 
A few families having finished all their prepara¬ 
tions, close the door of their simple home, and 
with glowing faces and hopeful steps begin their 
inarch. They are soon joined by others, and 
again by new reinforcements. Every town, as 
they pass, replenishes their ranks, until, as they 
approach Shiloh, they are increased to a mighty 
multitude. It is a time of joy. Songs and 
shouts rend the air, and unwonted gladness reigns. 
All ages and conditions are here, and every varie- 


HANNAH. 


157 


ty of human form and face. Let us draw near to 
one family group. There is something more than 
ordinarily interesting in their appearance. The 
father has a noble mien as he walks on, convers¬ 
ing cheerfully with his children, answering their 
eager questions, and pointing out the objects of 
deepest import to a Jew as they draw near the 
Tabernacle. The children are light-hearted and 
gay, but the mother’s countenance does not please 
us. We feel instinctively that she is not worthy 
of her husband; and especially is there an 
expression wholly incongruous with this hour of 
harmony and rejoicing. While we look, she lin¬ 
gers behind her family, and speaks to one, who, 
with slow step and downcast looks, walks meekly 
on, and seems as if she pondered some deep grief. 
Will she whisper a word of comfort in the ear of 
the sorrowful ? Ah, no ! A mocking smile is on 
her lips, which utter taunting words, and she 
glances maliciously round, winking to her neigh¬ 
bors to notice how she can humble the spirit of one 
who is less favored than herself. ‘ ‘ What would you 
give now to see a son of yours holding the father’s 
hand, or a daughter tripping gladly along by his 
14 


158 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


side ? Where are your children, Hannah ? You 
surely could not have left them behind to miss 
all this pleasure ? Perhaps they have strayed 
among the company ? Would it not be well to 
summon them, that they may hear the father's 
instructions, and join in the song which we shall 
all sing as we draw near to Shiloh?” Cruel 
words! and they do their work. Like barbed 
arrows, they stick fast in the sore heart of this 
injured one. Her head sinks, but she utters no 
reply. She only draws nearer to her husband, 
and walks more closely in his footsteps. 

# * * * # 

The night has passed, and a cloudless sun 
looks down on the assembled thousands of Israel. 
Elkanah has presented his offering at the Taber¬ 
nacle, and has now gathered his family to the 
feast in the tent. As is his wont, he gives to 
each a portion, and hilarity presides at the board. 
The animated scene around them — the white 
tents stretching as far as the eye can reach — 
the sound of innumerable voices — the meeting 
with friends — all conspire to make every heart 
overflow, and the well-spread table invites to new 


HANNAH. 


159 


expressions of satisfaction and delight. But 
here, also, as on the journey, one heart is sad. 
At Elkanah’s right hand sits Hannah, her plate 
filled by the hand of love with “ a worthy por¬ 
tion but it stands untasted before her. Her 
husband is troubled. He has watched her strug¬ 
gles for self-control, and seen her vain endeavors 
to eat and be happy like those around her; and, 
divining in part the cause of her sorrow, he ten¬ 
derly strives to comfort her. “ Hannah, why 
weepest thou ? and why eatest thou not ? and 
why is thy heart grieved ? Am I not better to 
thee than ten sons?” That voice of sympathy 
and compassion is too much. She rises and 
leaves the tent to calm in solitude, as best she 
may, her bosom's strife. Why must she be thus 
afflicted ? Severe, indeed, and bitter are the 
elements which are mingled in her cup. Jeho¬ 
vah has judged her. She has been taught to 
believe that those who are childless are so 
because of his just displeasure. Her fellow- 
creatures also despise her; her neighbors look 
suspiciously upon her. Wherefore should it be 
thus ? She wanders slowly, and with breaking 


160 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


heart, towards the Tabernacle. The aged Eli 
sits by one of the posts of the door as she enters 
the sacred inclosure, but she heeds him not. She 
withdraws to a quiet spot, and finds, at last, a 
refuge. She kneels, and the long pent-up sor¬ 
row has now its way ; she “ pours out her soul 
before the Lord.’’ Happy, though sorrowful, 
Hannah ! She has learned one lesson of which 
the prosperous know nothing ; she has learned 
to confide in her Maker, as she could in no other 
friend. It were useless to go to her husband 
with the oft-told trouble. He is ever fond and 
kind; but, though she is childless, he is not, 
and he cannot appreciate the extent of her grief. 
All that human sympathy can do, he will do, but 
human sympathy cannot be perfect. It were 
worse than useless to tell him of PeninnalTs 
taunts and reproaches. It would be wicked, and 
bring upon her Heaven's just wrath, if she did 
aught to mar the peace of a happy family. No ; 
there is no earthly ear into which she can “pour 
out her soul." But here her tears may flow un¬ 
restrained, and she need leave nothing unsaid. 

0 Thou, who hidest the sorrowing soul under 


HANNAH. 


161 


the shadow of thy wings — who art witness to 
the tears which must be hidden from all other 
eyes — who dost listen patiently to the sighs and 
groans which can be breathed in no other pres¬ 
ence — to whom are freely told the griefs which 
the dearest earthly friend cannot comprehend, — 
Thou, who upbraidest not — who understandest 
and dost appreciate perfectly the woes under 
which the stricken soul sways like a reed in the 
tempest, and whose infinite love and sympa¬ 
thy reach to the deepest recesses of the heart — 
unto whom none ever appealed in vain—God 
of all grace and consolation, blessed are they 
who put their trust in thee. 

Long and earnest is Hannah's communion with 
her God; and, as she pleads her cause with 
humility, and penitence, and love, she feels her 
burdened heart grow lighter. Hope springs up 
where was only despair, and a new life spreads 
itself before her; even the hard thoughts which 
she had harbored towards Peninnah had melted 
as she knelt in that holy presence. The love of 
the eternal has bathed her spirit in its blessed 
flood; and grief, and selfishness, and envy, have 
14 * 


162 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


alike been washed away. Strengthened with 
might by the spirit of the Lord, she puts forth a 
vigorous faith ; and, taking hold on the covenant 
faithfulness of Jehovah, she makes a solemn 
vow. The turmoil within is hushed. She rises 
and goes forth like one who is prepared for any 
trial, who is endued with strength by a mighty 
t though unseen power, and sustained by a love 
which has none of the imperfect and unsatisfying 
elements that must always mingle with the purest 
earthly affection. Meek, confiding, and gentle as 
ever, she is yet not the same. She meets re¬ 
proach even from the high priest himself with 
calmness. She returns to her husband and his 
family, no longer shrinking and bowed down ; 
“ she eats, and her countenance is no more sad.” 

Another morning dawns. Hannah has ob¬ 
tained her husband's sanction to the vow which 
she made in her anguish. Elkanah and his 
household rise early and worship before the Lord, 
and return to their house in Rain ah. 

A year passes, another and another, but Han¬ 
nah is not found among the multitude going up 


HANNAH. 


163 


to Shiloh. Has she, the pious and devoted one, 
become indifferent to the service of Jehovah, or, 
have the reproaches and taunts of Peninnah be¬ 
come too intolerable in the presence of her neigh¬ 
bors, so that she remains at home for peace ? 
No. Reproach 'will harm her no longer. As the 
company departs, she stands with smiling coun¬ 
tenance looking upon their preparations, and in 
her arms a fair son; and her parting words to 
her husband are, — “ I will not go up until the 
child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that 
he may appear before the Lord, and there abide 
forever. ,, 

* * # * * 

Will she really leave him ? Will she consent 
to part from her treasure and joy — her only one ? 
What a blessing he has been to her! Seven 
years of peace and overflowing happiness has 
that little one purchased for her burdened and 
distracted spirit. Can she return to Ramah 
without him, to solitude and loneliness, un¬ 
cheered by his winning ways and childish prat¬ 
tle ? Surely this is a sorrow which will wring 
her heart as never before. Not so. There she 


164 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


stands again on the spot where she once knelt, 
and wept, and vowed, hut no tears fall now from 
her eyes, no grief is in her tones. She has 
come to fulfil her vow, “ to lend her son to the 
Lord as long as he liveth.” Again she prays as 
she is about parting from him. What a prayer ! 
a song of exultation rather. Listen to its sub¬ 
lime import. “ My heart rejoiceth in the Lord ; 
mine horn is exalted in the Lord.” IIow did we 
wrong thee, Hannah! We said thy son had 
purchased peace and joy for thee. Our low, 
selfish, doting hearts had not soared to the 
heights of thy lofty devotion. We deemed thee 
such an one as ourselves. In the gift, truly thou 
hast found comfort; but the giver is he in whom 
thou hast delighted, and therefore thou canst so 
readily restore what he lent thee, on the condi¬ 
tions of thy vow. The Lord thy God has been, 
and is still to be, thy portion, and thou fearest 
not to leave thy precious one in his house. We 
thought to hear a wail from thee, but we were 
among the foolish. Thy soul is filled with the 
beauty and glory of the Lord, and thou hast not 
a word of sadness now. Thou leavest thy lamb 


HANNAH. 


165 


among wolves — thy consecrated one with the 
4 c sons of Belial ”— yet thou tremblest not. 
Who shall guide his childish feet in wisdom’s 
ways when thou art far away ? What hinders 
that he shall look on vice till it become familiar, 

and he be even like those around him ? The old 

/ 

man is no fit protector for him. Does not thy 
heart fear ? 44 0, woman, great is thy faith ! ” 

Come hither, ye who would learn a lesson of 
wisdom ; ponder this record of the sacred word. 
Hannah returned to Hamah. She became the 
mother of sons and daughters ; and yearly, as she 
went with her husband to Shiloh, she carried to 
her first-born, a coat wrought by maternal love, 
and rejoiced to see him growing before the Lord. 
How long she did this we are not told. We 
have searched in vain for a word or hint that she 
lived to see the excellence and greatness of the 
son whom she 44 asked of God.” The only clue 
which we can find is, that Samuel’s house was in 
Hamah, the home of his parents; and w T e wish 
to think he lived there to be with them ; and we 
hope his mother’s eyes looked on the altar which 
he built there unto the Lord, and that her heart 


166 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


was gladdened by witnessing the proofs of his 
wisdom and grace, and the favor with which the 
Almighty regarded him. 

But though w r e know little of Hannah, she, 
being many thousand years “dead, yet speak- 
eth.” Come hither, ye who are tempest-tossed 
on a sea of vexations. Learn from her how to 
gain the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. 
Come, ye who feel that God hath judged you, and 
that you suffer affliction from his displeasure. 
Learn that you should draw nearer to him, in¬ 
stead of departing from him. Come with Han¬ 
nah to his very courts. “ Pour out your soul” 
before him; keep back none of your griefs; 
confess your sins; offer your vows; multiply 
your prayers ; rise not till you, also, can go forth 
with a countenance no more sad. He is “ the 
same yesterday, to-day, and forever.” Come 
hither, ye who long to know how your children 
may assuredly be the Lord’s. Strive to enter 
into the spirit of Hannah’s vow, remembering, 
meantime, all it implied as she afterwards ful¬ 
filled it. Appreciate, if you can, her love and 
devotion to her God; and when you can so 


HANNAH. 


167 


entirely consecrate your all to him, be assured 
he will care for what is his own, and none shall 
be able to pluck it out of his hand. Come 
hither, ye who are called to part with your treas¬ 
ures ; listen to Hannah's song, as she gives up 
her only son, to call him hers no more ; listen, 
till you feel your heart joining also in the lofty 
anthem, and you forget all selfish grief, as she 
did, in the contemplation of his glories who is 
the portion of the soul. “ Mij heart rejoiceth in 
the Lord Alas! alas! how does even the 
Christian heart, which has professed to he satis¬ 
fied with God, and content with his holy will, 
often depart from him, and “ provoke him to 
jealousy ” with many idols! Inordinate affection 
for some earthly object absorbs the soul which 
vowed to love him supremely. In its undis¬ 
guised excess, it says to the beloved object, 
“ Give me your heart; Jehovah must be your 
salvation, but let me be your happiness. A por¬ 
tion of your time, your attention, your service, 
he must have ; but your daily, hourly thoughts, 
your dreams, your feelings, let them all be of 
me — of mine." 0 for such a love as she pos- 


168 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


sessed ! We should not then love our children 
less, hut more, far more than now, and with a 
better, happier love; a love from which all 
needless anxiety would flee ; a perfect love, 
casting out fear. 

Ye who feel that death to your loved ones 
would not so distress you as the fear of leaving 
them among baleful influences ; who tremble in 
view of the evil that is in the world; remember 
where Hannah left, apparently without a mis¬ 
giving, her gentle child. With Eli—who could 
not even train his own sons in the fear of the 
Lord— with those sons who made themselves vile, 
and caused Israel to transgress, she left him 
with the Lord. “Go ye and do likewise," and 
remember, also, he is the God of the whole earth. 


ICHABOD’S MOTHER. 


“ Strength is born 

In the deep silence of long-suffering hearts. 

Not amidst joy.” 

The noblest characters the world knows are 
those who have been trained in the school of 
affliction. They only who walk in the fiery fur¬ 
nace are counted worthy the companionship of 
the Son of Gfod. The modes of their discipline 
are various, as are their circumstances and pecu¬ 
liar traits, but in one form or other stern trials 
have proved them all. They partake of the 
holiness of the Lord, because they have first 
endured the chastening of his love. They are 
filled with righteousness, because they have 
known the pangs of spiritual hunger and the 
extremity of thirst. They abound, because they 
have been empty. They are heavenly-minded, 
because they have first learned, in the bitterness 
of their spirits, how unsatisfying is earth. They 
are firmly anchored by faith, because frequent 
tempests and threatened shipwreck have taught 
15 


170 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


them their need. The Master himself was made 
perfect through suffering, and with his baptism 
must they who would follow him closely, be bap¬ 
tized. 

While Hannah was undergoing at Ramah the 
discipline which wrought in her such noble qual¬ 
ities, there dwelt in Shiloh one of kindred spirit, 
who was called to endure even severer tests, 
inasmuch as that which should have constituted 
her happiness was evermore the bitterest ingredi¬ 
ent in her cup; what might have been her purest 
joys became her greatest griefs. She was a wife, 
but only in name. Of the serenity and bliss 
which attend on true wedded love she was de¬ 
prived. Her bridal pillow was early planted 
with thorns, which henceforth forbade all peace. 
She was a mother, but her children were to be 
partakers of their father’s shame, disgraced, and 
doomed to early death or lives of wickedness and 
woe. She seemingly enjoyed abundant privi¬ 
leges; but her trials as a child of God were deep¬ 
er than all others. She dwelt on sacred ground; 
but, alas! herein lay the secret of her sorrow. 
Had her home been among the thousands in the 


ichabod’s mother. 


171 


outer camps, it had not been so sadly desecrated. 
ITer husband was the High Priest’s son, and daily 
performed the priest’s duty among holy things. 
Had he been a humble member of Dan or Naph- 
tali, his crimes had not been so heinous. She 
lived under the shadow of the tabernacle ; had 
her abode been farther from the sacred enclosure, 
she had not been daily witness to the Heaven¬ 
daring deeds which made men abhor the offering 
of the Lord, and called for vengeance on her 
nearest and dearest. Her food was constantly 
supplied from the sacred offerings ; had it been 
procured in ordinary ways, she had not been a 
partaker with those who committed sacrilege. 

No trifling vexations, no light sorrows were 
hers ; and, as might be expected, her virtues 
bore their proportion to the purifying process to 
which she w$s subjected. Disappointed in her 
earthly hopes, she clung to her God, and fastened 
her expectations on him. Humiliated in her 
human relations, she aspired to nothing hence¬ 
forth but his honor and glory. Wounded in 
heart, her wealth of love despised, lonely, de¬ 
serted, she sought in him the portion of her soul, 


172 THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 

and her lacerated affections found repose and sat¬ 
isfaction, without the fear of change, in his un¬ 
changing love. 

It is often so ordered, in the providence of 
God, that those who have borne the yoke in their 
youth, live to see days of comparative quietude 
and exemption from trouble. Hannah, after the 
birth of Samuel, appears to have passed the 
remainder of her life in peace and prosperity. 
But the nameless woman whose memorial we 
record had no respite. Her life was a life of 
endurance, and she was cut off in the midst of 
her days by a most fearful and agonizing stroke. 

Israel was as usual at war with the Philistines. 
The army had pitched beside Ebenezer, “ And 
the Philistines put themselves in array against 
Israel ; and when they joined battle, Israel was 
smitten before the Philistines.” Alarmed q,nd 
distressed by this defeat, the Israelites, vainly 
imagining that wherever the ark of God was, 
there he would be, also, with his favoring pres¬ 
ence, sent up to Shiloh to bring from thence the 
sacred symbol. With great pomp and solemnity 
it was borne by the Priests and Levites, and 


ichabod’s mother. 


173 


tumultuous was the rejoicing as it entered the 
camp; but no account is given of the feelings of 
those who remained near the deserted tabernacle. 
Did the aged Eli forebode that the awful event 
which should signal the fulfilment of prophetic 
woe against his family was about to befall ? Did 
the abused wife dream that she should behold no 
more her husband's face ? We know not what 
of personal apprehension mingled with their 
trouble; but we do know that with trembling 
hearts these faithful servants of God awaited 
tidings of the ark of his covenant. How por¬ 
tentous soever might be the cloud which hung 
over their own happiness, they deemed it of 
small importance an comparison with the honor 
of Jehovah. The messenger came, but who 
shall portray the scene when he rendered his 
tidings! 

4L. 

T? W W W TP # 

In a darkened chamber, whither death, clothed 
in unwonted horrors, has suddenly come for the 
fourth victim of that doomed family, lies the sub¬ 
ject of our meditations, panting under his iron 
grasp. The afflictions of her life are now con- 
15 * 


174 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


summated. The husband of her youth—his fol¬ 
lies and faults against her now all forgotten in 
the bitter thought that he is dead — has gone un¬ 
repentant to the bar of God, to give account of his 
priesthood ; her venerable father-in-law alone, 
with no friend to cheer his dying agonies, has 
also departed from earth; her people are defeat¬ 
ed in battle, and, worse than all, the ark of God 
is fallen into the hands of the uncircumcised 
Philistines, who doubtless glory as if Dagon had 
conquered the invincible Jehovah. What to her 
are the pangs and throes under which her tor¬ 
tured body labors ? She heeds them not. Pity¬ 
ing friends endeavor to rouse her from her dying 
lethargy, by the most glad tidings a Hebrew 
woman could learn: “Fear not; for thou hast 
borne a son !” But she answers not. Shorter 
and shorter grows her breath, nearer and nearer 
she approaches the eternal shore. But she is a 
mother; and, though every other tie is sundered, 
and she is dying of the wounds which the cruel 
breaking of those heart-strings has caused, she 
feels one cord drawing her to her new-born 
child, and asks that he may be brought. It is 


iciiabod’s mother. 


175 


too much! Why was he bora ? No cheering 
thought comes with his presence. Nor joy nor 
honor are in store for him. “Call him Ichabod” 
(without glory), she gasps in feeble accents; 
<£ for the glory is departed from Israel: for the 
ark of God is taken.’' A moment more, and 
her freed spirit is in His open presence, who she 
deemed was forever departed from her people. 

Christian friend,—you who are walking through 
desert places, and perhaps fainting under the 
heavy hand of God, — let not your heart fail you. 
Shrink not back from the path, though it seem 
beset with thorns. Some good is in store for 
you. Affliction, indeed, is not for the present 
joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it 
yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. 
If, like the mother of Ichabod, you learn to for¬ 
sake the turbid waters of earth for the Fountain 
of eternal love, — if you make the Lord your 
portion, — you will not in the end be the loser, 
though wave on wave roll over you and strip you 
of every other joy. No, not even if, at length, 
your sun shall set in clouds impenetrable to mortal 


176 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


vision. A glorious, cloudless morning lies be¬ 
yond, and you shall be forever satisfied with Him 
who has chosen you in the furnace of affliction. 

“ Then rouse thee from desponding sleep, 

Nor by the wayside lingering weep, 

Nor fear to seek Him farther in the wild, 

Whose love can turn earth’s worst and least 
Into a conqueror’s royal feast: 

Thou wilt not be untrue, thou shalt not be beguiled.” 


THE MOTHER OE SAMSON. 


in the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Judges 
is recorded the short but suggestive story which 
is our present Bible lesson. Horeb is long since 
left behind. The evil generation, who forty 
years tried the patience of Jehovah, have fallen 
in the wilderness, and their successors are now 
in possession of the promised land. Moses, and 
Joshua, and Caleb, have gone to their rest, and 
Israel, bereft of their counsel, follow wise or evil 
advices, as a wayward fancy may dictate, and 
receive a corresponding recompense at the hands 
of their God. The children proved in no respect 
wiser or more obedient than their fathers. Again 
and again “ they forsook the Lord, and served the 
idols of the Canaanites, and in wrath he gave 
them up to their enemies.” Often, in pity, he 
raised up for them deliverers, who would lead 
them for a time in better paths ; “ but when the 
judge was dead, they returned, and corrupted 
themselves more than their fathers, in following 


178 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto 
them: they ceased not from their own doings, 
nor from their stubborn wayand therefore were 
they often, for long, tedious years, in bondage to 
the various nations which God had left in the 
land, “ to prove them whether they would walk 
in his ways.” It was during one of these sea¬ 
sons of trouble that the subject of our study is 
mentioned. She -was the w 7 ife of Manoah, a 
citizen of Zorah, of the tribe of Dan. Of her 
previous history, and the events of her after life, 
we know nothing. He who beholdeth all things 
that are done under the sun, and readeth all 
hearts, had marked her out as the instrument 
wherewith he would work to get glory to him¬ 
self ; and, however little known to others, he 
deemed her worthy of this distinguished honor, 
— worthy to receive a direct communication from 
himself. Of her character nothing is said; but 
we gather that she was a self-denying, obedient 
child of God. 

It is not necessary that we should detail every 
incident of those interviews with the angel Jeho¬ 
vah, which the mother of Samson was permitted 


THE MOTHER OF SAMSON. 


179 


to enjoy. Take your Bible, friend, and read for 
yourself, in words more befitting than we can 
use; and, as you rise from the perusal, if the true 
spirit of a Christian reigns in your heart, you 
will perhaps exclaim, “ 0, that the Lord would 
come to me also, and tell me how I shall order 
my children, that so they may be the subjects of 
his grace, and instruments of his will! ” If you 
meditate deeply while you read, perhaps you will 
conclude that, in his directions to this mother, our 
heavenly Father has revealed to us wonderful 
and important things, which may*answer us 
instead of direct communications from himself, 
and which, if heeded and obeyed, will secure to 
us great peace and satisfaction. Bear in mind 
that he who speaks is our Creator, — that all the 
wonders of the human frame are perfectly fa¬ 
miliar to him, and that he knows far more than 
earthly skill and science have ever been able to 
ascertain, or even hint at, concerning the rela¬ 
tions which himself ordained. He comes to 
Manoah’s wife with these words : — “ Now, 
therefore, beware, and drink not wine nor strong 
drink, and eat not any unclean thing. For, lo! 


180 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


thou shall conceive and bear a son ; and no razor 
shall come on his head : for the child shall be a 
Nazarite unto God from the womb. ,, Can you 
discern in this only an allusion to Jewish customs 
and ceremonies, long since obsolete, and in no 
way interesting to us, except as a matter of his¬ 
tory ? Can you not rather see gleaming out a 
golden rule which all would be blessed in follow¬ 
ing ? To us, in this history, Jehovah says, 
“ Mother, whatever you wish your child to be, 
that must you also in all respects be yourself.’’ 
Samson is to be consecrated to God by the most 
solemn of vows all the days of his life, and the 
conditions of that vow his mother is commanded 
to fulfil, from the moment that she is conscious 
of his existence, until he is weaned, a period of 
four years at least, according to the custom of 
her time. 

These thoughts introduce to us a theme on 
which volumes have been written and spoken. 
Men of deep research and profound judgment 
have been ready to say to all the parents of earth, 
“ Whatever ye are, such will also your children 
prove always, and in every particular, to be ; ” 


THE MOTHER OF SAMSON. 


181 


and there are not wanting multitudes of facts to 
strengthen and confirm the position. In certain 
aspects of it, it is assuredly true, since the princi¬ 
pal characteristics of the race remain from age 
to age the same. Nor is it disproved by what 
seem at first adverse facts; for although children 
seem in physical and intellectual constitution 
often the direct opposite of their parents, yet a 
close study into the history of families may only 
prove, that if unlike those parents in general 
character, they have nevertheless inherited that 
particular phase, which governed the period from 
which they date their existence. No person 
bears through life precisely the same dispositions, 
or is at all times equally under the same influ¬ 
ences, or governed by the same motives. The 
gentle and amiable by nature, may come into cir¬ 
cumstances which shall induce unwonted irrita¬ 
bility and ill-humor; the irascible and passionate, 
surrounded, in some favored time, by all that 
heart can wish, may seem as lovely as though no 
evil tempers had ever deformed them ; and the 
children who shall be the offspring of these epi¬ 
sodes in life, may bear indeed a character differ- 
16 


182 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ing wholly from the usual character of their 
parents, hut altogether corresponding to the brief 
and unusual state which ruled their hour of be¬ 
ginning life. So is it also in physical constitu¬ 
tion. The feeble and sickly have sometimes 
intervals of health, and the robust see months of 
languor and disease. Hence, perhaps, the dif¬ 
ferences which are observable many times in the 
children of the same family with regard to health 
and natural vigor. 

We cannot enter into the subject. It is wide 
and extended as human nature itself. It is also, 
apart from the gospel of God’s grace, a very dis¬ 
couraging subject to the parent who contemplates 
it with seriousness, and with an earnest desire to 
ascertain the path of duty. “ How useless,” we 
maybe tempted to exclaim, “any attempt to 
gain an end which is so uncertain as the securing 
any given constitution, either of body or mind, 
for my children! To-day I am in health, full of 
cheerfulness and hope ; a year hence I may be 
broken and infirm, a prey to depressing thoughts 
and melancholy forebodings. My mind is now 
vigorous and active ; who knows how soon the 


TIIE MOTHER OF SAMSON. 


183 


material shall subject the intellectual, and clog 
every nobler faculty ? What will it suffice 
that to-day I feel myself controlled by good mo¬ 
tives, and swayed by just principles, and pos¬ 
sessed of a well-balanced character, since, in 
some evil hour, influences wholly unexpected 
may gain the ascendency, and I be so unlike my 
present self that pitying friends can only wonder 
and whisper, How changed! and enemies shall 
glory in my fall ? No. It is vain to strive after 
certainty in this world of change and vicissitude, 
since none of us can tell what himself shall be on 
the morrow. Do what I will, moreover, my 
child can only inherit a sinful nature.” In the 
midst of gloomy thoughts like these, we turn to 
the story of Samson's mother, and hear Jehovah 
directing her to walk before him in the spirit of 
consecration, which is to be the life-long spirit of 
her son. lie surely intimates that the child's 
character begins with, and depends upon, that of 
the mother. A ray of light and encouragement 
dawns upon us. True, we are fickle and change¬ 
able, and subject to vicissitude ; but he, our God, 
is far above all these shifting scenes, and ail the 


184 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


varying circumstances of this mortal life are un¬ 
der his control, he can turn the hearts of men as 
he will; his counsel shall stand. True, we are 
transgressors like our first father, partakers of his 
fallen nature, and inheritors of the curse ; but 
“ where sin abounds grace does much more 
abound,” and “ Christ hath redeemed us from the 
curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” For 
all the evils under which we groan, the Gospel 
has a remedy, and we have faith that in spite of 
all obstacles and difficulties, our Saviour will yet 
present us, as individuals, faultless before the 
throne. Why may not our faith take a still 
higher flight ? There are given to us exceeding 
great and precious promises. The Holy Spirit, 
first of all, shall he given to all who ask. They 
who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be 
filled. He has never said to the seed of Jacob, 
seek ye me in vain. There are, on almost every 
page of the sacred word, these precious promises. 
By them you are encouraged daily in your 
onward struggle, Christian friend. What shall 
hinder you now from taking them to your heart 
as a mother with the same faith ? If God is able 


THE MOTHER OF SAMSON. 


185 


to secure your soul against all evil influences, — 
yes, even against the arch enemy himself, — and if 
he has made the character of your child to depend 
upon your own in any degree, why may you not 
plead the promises of his word with double 
power, when your prayers ascend not merely for 
yourself, but for another immortal being whom he 
has so intimately associated with you ? You are 
accustomed daily to seek from him holy influ¬ 
ences ; you pray that you may grow in grace and 
knowledge, and be kept from the evil that is in 
the world, and from dishonoring your Saviour. 
Can you not offer these same petitions as a 
mother, and beg all these blessings on behalf of 
your child, who is to take character from you ? 
Can you not consecrate yourself in a peculiarly 
solemn manner to the Lord, and, viewing the 
thousand influences which may affect you, pray 
to be kept from all which would be adverse to 
the best good of the precious soul to be intrusted 
to you; and believe, by all you know of your 
heavenly Father, and of his plan of grace, that 
you will be accepted and your petitions answered ? 
And then can you not act upon that faith ? De- 
16 * 


186 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


siring your child to be a man of prayer, will you 
not, during the years in which you are acting 
directly on him, give yourself much to prayer ? 
Hoping that he may not be slothful, but an active 
and diligent servant of his Lord, will you not 
give your earnest soul and busy hands to the 
work which you find to do ? Wishing him to be 
gentle and lovely, will you not strive to clothe 
yourself with meekness ? In short, will you not 
cultivate every characteristic that is desirable for 
the devoted Christian, in order, that, at least, 
your child may enter on life with every possible 
advantage which you can give him ? And since 
a sane mind, and rightly-moving heart, are 
greatly dependent on a sound body, will you not 
study to be yourself, by temperance and modera¬ 
tion, and self-denial and activity, in the most 
perfect health which you can by any effort gain ? 

Who does not believe that if all Christian 
mothers would thus believe and act, most blessed 
results would be secured ? The subject appeals 
to fathers' also, and equal responsibility rests 
upon them. 

Some will doubtless be ready to say, “This 


THE MOTHER OF SAMSON. 


187 


would require us to live in tlie spirit a Nazarite’s 
vow all the time. You have drawn for us a plan 
of life which is difficult to follow, and demands 
all our vigilance, constant striving, and unwearied 
labors.’’ True, friends ; but the end to be gained 
is worth the cost, and you have “ God all-suffi¬ 
cient” for your helper. 


RIZPAH. 


In order fully to understand the subject of our 
present study, we must return upon the track, to 
the days of Joshua, before Israel had wholly 
entered upon the possession of the promised land. 
The tribes were encamped at Gilgal to keep the 
passover, and from thence, by the direction of 
Jehovah, they made incursions upon the surround¬ 
ing inhabitants. Jericho and Ai had been taken, 
and the fear of these formidable Hebrews, and 
their mighty God, had fallen upon the hearts of 
the nations and stricken them almost to hopeless¬ 
ness. Feeling that a last effort to save them¬ 
selves and their homes must be made, they banded 
together, and resolved to defend their rights, and 
to put to proof the combined power of their 
deities. One clan, however, despairing of suc¬ 
cess by any such means, having heard that the 
utter extirpation of the Canaanites was determined 
upon, resorted to stratagem, and thus secured 
their safety in the midst of the general ruin. 


RIZPAH. 


189 


“ They did work wilily,” says the sacred record, 
“ and made as if they had been ambassadors, and 
took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles 
old, and rent, and bound up ; and old shoes and 
clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon 
them ; and all the bread of their provision was 
dry and mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto 
the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the 
men of Israel, We be come from a far country, 
now therefore make ye a league with us.” At 
first the Israelites seem to have suspected trick¬ 
ery ; but when the supposed ambassadors produced 
their mouldy bread, and declared that it was 
taken hot from the oven on the morning of their 
departure from their own country ; and that their 
wine bottles were new, now so shrunk and torn; 
and pointed to their shoes and garments, quite 
worn out by the length of the journey; and told 
their pitiful story ; and in their humility stooped 
to any terms if they might only be permitted to 
make a covenant; Joshua and his elders were 
completely deceived, and, without stopping to ask 
counsel of the Lord, “ they made peace with them, 
and made a league with them to let them live.” 


190 ' THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 

The Lord abhors treachery, and although his 
people had greatly erred in this act, and although 
these Hivites were among the nations whom he 
had commanded them to destroy, yet, since a cov¬ 
enant had been made with them, it must he kept 
on peril of his stern displeasure and severe judg¬ 
ments. Only three days elapsed before the Israel¬ 
ites discovered that the crafty ambassadors were 
their near neighbors, and were called upon to 
come to their defence against the other inhabitants 
of the land, who, having heard of the transaction 
at Gilgal, had gathered together to smite their 
principal city, Gibeon, and destroy them because 
they had made peace with Joshua. Before the 
walls of that mighty city, and in behalf of these 
idolaters, because Jehovah would have his people 
keep faith with those to whom they had vowed, 
was fought that memorable battle, the like of 
which was never known before or since, when, to 
aid the cause, the laws of Nature were suspended 
upon human intercession — when Joshua said, 
“ Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, 
moon, in the valley of Ajalon.” “ So the sun 


RIZPAH. 


191 


stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not 
to go down about a whole day.” 

The tribes gained their inheritance, and their 
enemies were mostly driven out of the land, but 
in their midst ever dwelt the Gibeonites, safe from 
molestation, though the menial services of the 
tabernacle were performed by them, because of 
the deceit by which they purchased their lives, 
and they were contented to be thus reduced to 
perpetual bondage, so they might escape the doom 
of their neighbors. 

Years passed on, and vicissitudes came to the 
Israelites of one kind and another. Sometimes 
they were victorious in their battles and peaceful 
among themselves ; and, again, they fled before 
enemies or were embroiled in-civil dissensions. 
Ever, above, caring for them, and bringing them 
safely on through all,— instructing, guiding, and 
disciplining,—sat on his throne, their mighty invis¬ 
ible King. They demanded an earthly monarch, 
and in judgment he granted their desire. In 
judgment , and miserable in many ways, were the 
results of his reign. Among his other evil acts 
not recorded, but alluded to in the history, was 


192 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


one of cruel treachery to the Gibeonites. “It 
would seem that Saul viewed their possessions 
with a covetous eye, as affording him the means 
of rewarding his adherents, and of enriching his 
family, and hence, on some pretence or other, or 
without any pretence, he slew large numbers of 
them, and doubtless seized their possessions/’ In 
this wicked deed we gather that many of the 
Israelites, and the members of Saul’s family in 
particular, had an active share, and were benefited 
by the spoils. The Almighty beheld and took 
cognizance, but no immediate retribution followed. 

Towards the close of David’s reign, however, 
for some unknown reason, the whole land was 
visited with a famine. Month after month it 
stalked abroad, and year after year, until three 
years of want had afflicted the chosen people. 
At the end of that time, David, having resorted 
to all possible means of providing food in vain, 
began to reflect that there was meaning in the 
visitation, and “ sought the face of the Lord,” to 
inquire why he was displeased with his people. 
The answer was explicit and terrible. “ It is for 
Saul and his bloody house, because he slew the 


KIZPAH. 


193 


Gibeonites.” Though men forget, the Lord does 
not. He will plead the cause of the oppressed 
sooner or later, and though his vengeance sleep 
long, yet will he reward, to those that deal treach¬ 
ery, seven-fold sorrow. 

Driven by famine, and by the expressed will of 
Jehovah, David sent to ask of the injured people 
what should be done to satisfy their sense of 
justice. “And the Gibeonites said unto him, 
We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of 
his house, neither for us shalt thou kill any man 
in Israel. The man that consumed us, and that 
devised against us that we should be destroyed 
from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, 
let seven men of his sons be delivered unto 
us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in 
Gibeah of Saul. And the king said, I will give 
them.” 

Dreadful days of blood ! Fearful fiat! which 
though needful and just, yet invaded the sanctu¬ 
ary of home so gloomily. Sad world! in which 
the innocent so often bear the sins of the guilty, 
— when will thy groans, ever ascending into the 
ears of Almighty love, be heard, and bring release ? 
17 


194 


THE MOTHERS OF TIIE BIBLE. 


The sentence was executed. Two sons of Saul 
by Rizpah, his inferior wife, and five of Merab 
his eldest daughter, were delivered up and hung 
by the Gibeonites. 

Who can imagine, much less portray, the 
mother’s anguish when her noble sons were torn 
from her for such a doom! We do not know 
whether Merab was living to see that day of hor¬ 
ror, but Rizpah felt the full force of the blow 
which blasted all her hopes. Her husband, the 
father of her sons, had gone forth to battle, and 
returned no more ; her days of happiness and 
security had departed with his life, and now, all 
that remained of comfort, her precious children, 
must be put to a cruel death to satisfy the ven¬ 
geance due to crimes not hers nor theirs. Wretched 
mother ! a bitter lot indeed was thine. But the 
Lord had spoken, and there was no reprieve. To 
the very town where they had all dwelt under 
their father’s roof, were these hapless ones dragged, 
and their bodies ignominiously exposed upon the 
wall until they should waste away ; a custom 
utterly abhorrent to all humanity, and especially 
to the Hebrews, whose strongest desire might be 


Ill ZP AIL 


195 


expressed in the words of the aged Barzillai, 
“ Let me die in mine own city, and be buried by 
the grave of my father and mother.” 

Behold now that lone and heart-broken mother, 
on the spot where day and night, week after week, 
and month after month, she may be found. 
Neither heat nor cold, distressing days nor fear¬ 
ful nights, the entreaties of friends, nor the 
weariness of watching, nor the horrifying exhibi¬ 
tion of decaying humanity, could drive her from 
her post. Upon the sackcloth, which she had 
spread for herself upon the rock, she remained 
“ from the beginning of the harvest until the rain 
dropped upon them out of heaven,” and suffered 
neither the birds of the air by day, nor the beasts 
of the field by night, to molest those precious 
remains. 0, mother’s heart! of what heroism 
art thou capable! Before a scene like this, the 
bravest exploits of earth’s proudest heroes fade 
into dim insignificance. At this picture we can 
only gaze. Words wholly fail when we would 
comment on it. Of the agonies it reveals we can¬ 
not speak. There are lessons to be learned from 
it, and upon them we can ponder 


196 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE 


The value which the Lord our God sets upon 
truth is here displayed. He will have no swerv¬ 
ing from the straight path of perfect fidelity to all 
engagements and covenants. Severe and awful 
appears his character as thus presented to us, and 
yet it is upon this very attribute that all our hopes 
rely. “ He is not a man that he should lie, nor 
the son of man that he should repent.'’ If he 
thus defends those wdio love him not, how safe 
and happy may his children rest! 

The days in which Eizpah lived were dark and 
gloomy days. The words of Samuel to Agag 
may stand as their memorial: “As thy sword hath 
made women childless, so shall thy mother be 
childless among women." Let us be thankful 
that we see no such direful scenes, and let us act 
worthy of our higher lot. Let us remember, also, 
that there is a destruction of life more terrible 
even than that which Rizpah witnessed — the de¬ 
struction of the soul. If the mother’s love within 
us prompts us to half the care of the spiritual 
life of our children, which she bestowed on the 
decaying forms of her loved ones, He who 


RIZPAII. 


197 


rewards faithfulness will not suffer us to labor 
in vain. 


Hear what the desolate Rizpah said, 

As on Gibeah’s rocks she watched the dead. 

The sons of Michal before her lay, 

And her own fair children, dearer than they: 

By a death of shame they all had died, 

And were stretched on the bare rock, side by side. 
And Rizpah, once the loveliest of all . 

That bloomed and smiled in the court of Saul, 

All wasted with watching and famine now, 

And scorched by the sun her haggard brow, 

Sat mournfully guarding their corpses there, 

And murmured a strange and solemn air; 

The low, heart-broken, and wailing strain 
Of a mother that mourns her children slain : 

“ I have made the crags my home, and spread 
On their desert backs my sackcloth bed ; 

I have eaten the bitter herb of the rocks, 

And drunk the midnight dew in my locks; 

I have wept till I could not weep, and the pain 

Of my burning eye-balls went to my brain. 

/ 

Seven blackened corpses before me lie, 

In the blaze of the sun and the winds of the sky. 
I have watched them through the burning day, 
And driven the vulture and raven away; 

And the cormorant wheeled in circles round, 

Yet feared to alight on the guarded ground. 

17 * 


198 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


And when the shadows of twilightcame, 

I have seen the hyena’s eyes of flame, 

And heard at my side his stealthy tread, 

But aye at my shout the savage fled : 

And I threw the lighted brand to fright 
The jackal and wolf that yelled in the night. 

“ Ye w r ere foully murdered, my hapless sons, 

By the hands of wicked and cruel ones ; 

Ye fell, in your fresh and blooming prime, 

All innocent, for your father’s crime. 

He sinned—but he paid the price of his guilt 
When his blood by a nameless hand was spilt; 

When he strove with the heathen host in vain, 

And fell with the flower of his people slain, 

And the sceptre his children’s hands should sway 
From his injured lineage passed away. 

“ But I hoped that the cottage roof would be 
A safe retreat for my sons and me ; 

And that while they ripened to manhood fast, 

They should wean my thoughts from the woes of the past. 
And my bosom swelled with a mother’s pride, 

As they stood in their beauty and strength by my side, 
Tall like their sire, with the princely grace 
Of his stately form, and the bloom of his face. 

“0, what an hour for a mother’s heart, 

When the pitiless ruffians tore us apart! 

When I clasped their knees and wept and prayed 
And struggled and shrieked to Heaven for aid, 


RIZPAII. 


199 


And clung to my sons with desperate strength, 
Till the murderers loosed my hold at length, 

And bore me breathless and faint aside, 

In their iron arms, while my children died. 

They died — and the mother that gave them birth 
Is forbid to cover their bones with earth. 

“ The barley-harvest was nodding white, 

When my children died on the rocky height, 

And the reapers were singing on hill and plain, 
When I came to my task of sorrow and pain. 

But now the season of rain is nigh, 

The sun is dim in the thickening sky, 

And the clouds in sullen darkness rest 
Where he hides his light at the doors of the west. 
I hear the howl of the wind that brings 
The long drear storm on its heavy wings; 

But the howling wind and the driving rain 
Will beat on my houseless head in vain: 

I shall stay, from my murdered sons to scare 
The beasts of the desert, and fowls of air.” 


Bryant. 


BATHSHEBA. 


A summons from the king! What can it 
mean ? What can he know of her ? She is, 
indeed, the wife of one of his “ mighty men;” 
but though he highly esteems her husband, he 
can have no interest in her. She meditates. 
Her cheek pales. Can he have heard evil tid¬ 
ings from the distant city of the Ammonites, and 
would he break kindly to her news of her hus¬ 
band’s death ? It cannot be. Why should he 
do this for her more than for hundreds of others 
in like trouble ? Again she ponders, and now a 
crimson hue mounts to her temples — her fatal 
beauty! Away with the thought! it is shame 
to dwell upon it: would she wrong by so foul 
a suspicion the Lord’s anointed ? She wearies 
herself with surmises, and all in vain. But ' 
there is the command, and she must be gone. 
The king’s will is absolute. Whatever that 
summons imports, “dumb acquiescence” is her 


BATHSHEBA. 


201 


only part. She goes forth in her youth, beauty, 
and happiness. She returns — 

Weeks pass, and behold another message; but 
this time it is the king who receives, and Bath- 
slieba who sends. What is signified in those 
few words from a woman's hand, that can so 
unnerve him who “has his ten thousands slain" ? 
It is now his turn to tremble and look pale. Yet 
a little while, and he, — the man after God's own 
heart, the chosen ruler of his people, the idol 
of the nation, — shall be proclaimed guilty of 
a heinous and abominable crime, and shall, 
according to the laws of the land, be subject¬ 
ed to an ignominous death. He ponders now. 
Would he had thought of all this before ! but it 
is too late. The consequences of his ungoverned 
passion stare him in the face and well-nigh over¬ 
whelm him. Something must be done, and that 
speedily. He cannot have it thus. lie has 
begun to fall, and the enemy of souls is, as ever, 
at hand to suggest the second false and ruinous 
step. 


202 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Another summons. A messenger from the 
king to Joab. “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” 
It is peremptory ; no reasons are given, and Joab 
does as he is bidden. Unsuspecting as loyal, 
Uriah hastens on his way, mindful only of duty, 
and is soon in the presence of his royal master, 
who, always kind, is now remarkably attentive 
to his wants and thoughtful of his interests. He 
inquires for the commander of his forces, and of 
the war, and how the people fare, and it would 
almost seem had recalled him only to speak kind¬ 
ly to him, and manifest his regard for the army, 
though he had not himself led them to battle. 

But, though unsuspecting and deceived, the 
high-minded and faithful soldier cannot even un¬ 
wittingly be made to answer the end for which 
he has been summoned, and after two days he 
returns to Joab, bearing a letter, of whose terri¬ 
ble contents he little dreams, and is happy in his 
ignorance. 

Meantime Bathsheba has heard of his arrival 
in Jerusalem, and is momentarily expecting his 
appearance. Alas, that she should dread his 
coming! Alas, that she should shudder at every 


BATHSHEBA. 


203 


sound of approaching footsteps ! How fearful is 
the change which has come over her since last 
she looked on his loved face! He is her husband 
still, and she — she is his lawful, loving wife. 
Never was he so dear to her as now Never did 
his noble character so win her admiration, as she 
contemplates all the scenes of her wedded life, 
and reviews the evidences of it in the past. 
How happy they have been! What bliss has 
been hers in the enjoyment of his esteem and 
affection! She is even now to him, in his ab¬ 
sence, the one object of tender regard and con¬ 
stant thought. She knows how fondly he dwells 
on her love, and how precious to him is the 
beauty which first won him to her side. She is 
the “ ewe lamb which he has nourished, which 
has drank from his own cup and lain in his 
bosomshe is his all. He has been long 
away ; the dangers of the battle-field have sur¬ 
rounded him, and now he is returned, alive, well; 
her heart bounds ; she cannot wait till she shall 
see him; yet how can she meet him ? Ah! 
fatal remembrance, how bitterly it has recalled 
her from her vision of delight! It is not true ! 


204 


THE MOTHERS OP THE BIBLE. 


It cannot be true ! it is but a horrible dream! 
Her heart is true. She would at any moment 
have died for him. The entire devotion of her 
■warm nature is his. She had no willing part in 
that revolting crime. 0 ! must she suffer as if 
she had been an unfaithful wife ? Must she en¬ 
dure the anguish of seeing him turn coldly 
from her in some future day ? Must she now 
meet him, and have all her joy marred by that 
hateful secret ? Must she take part in deceiving 
him, in imposing upon him, — him, her noble, 
magnanimous, pure-minded husband ? 0, wretch¬ 
ed one! was ever sorrow like hers ? 

The day passes, and the night, and he comes 
not. Can he have suspected the truth ? Slowly 
the tedious hours go by, while she endures the 
racking tortures of suspense. The third day 
dawns, and with it come tidings that he has 
returned to Rabbah, and his words of whole- 
souled devotion to his duty and his God are 
repeated in her ears. — Faint not yet, strong- 
heart ; a far more bitter cup is in store for thee. 
* # * * # 

Bathsheba is again a wife, the wife of a king, 


BATHSHEBA. 


205 


and in her arms lies her first-born son. Terrible 
was the tempest which burst over her head, and 
her heart will never again know aught of the 
serene, untroubled happiness which once she 
knew. The storm has indeed lulled, but she 
sees the clouds gathering new blackness, and her 
stricken spirit shrinks and faints with foreboding 
fears. The little, innocent being which she holds 
fondly to her bosom, which seemed sent from 
Heaven to heal her wounds, lies panting in the 
grasp of fierce disease. She has sent for the 
king, and together they look upon the suffering 
one. Full well he knows, that miserable man, 
what mean those moans and piteous signs of dis¬ 
tress, and what they betoken. He gazes on the 
wan, anguished features of his wife, as she bends 
over her child ; his thoughts revert hurriedly to 
her surpassing beauty when first he saw her; a 
vision of the murdered Uriah flits before him ; 
the three victims of his guilt, and the message 
of Nathan, which he has just received—the stern 
words, “ Thou art the man,”—bring a full and 
realizing sense of the depth to which he has 
fallen ; and, overwhelmed with remorse and 
18 


206 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


wretchedness, he leaves the chamber to give vent 
to his grief, to fast, and weep, and pray, in the 
vain hope of averting the threatened judgment. 

Seven days of alternate hope and fear, of 
watching and care, have fled, and Bathsheba is 
childless. Another wave has rolled over her. 
God grant it be the last! Surely she has drained 
the cup of sorrow. She sits solitary and sad, 
bowed down with her weight of woes, her 
thoughts following ever the same weary track ; 
direful images present to her imagination; her 
frame racked and trembling; the heavens clothed 
in sackcloth, and life forever divested of happi¬ 
ness and delight. The king enters, and seats 
himself beside her. And if Bathsheba is 
changed, David is also from henceforth an 
altered man. “ Broken, in spirit by the con¬ 
sciousness of his deep sinfulness humbled ; in the 
eyes of his subjects, and his influence with them 
weakened by their knowledge of his crimes; even 
his authority in his own household, and his claim 
to the reverence of his sons, relaxed by his loss 
of character filled also with fearful anticipa¬ 
tions of the future, which is shadowed by the 


BATIISHEBA. 


207 


dark prophecy of Nathan; he is from this time 
wholly unlike what he has been in former days. 
“ The balance of his character is broken. Still 
he is pious; but even his piety takes an altered 
aspect. Alas for him ! The bird which once 
rose to heights unattained before by mortal pin¬ 
ion, filling the air with its joyful songs, now lies 
with maimed wing upon the ground, pouring 
forth its doleful cries to God.” He has scarcely 
begun to descend the declivity of life, yet he 
appears infirm and old. He is as one who goes 
down to the grave mourning. Thus does he 
seem to Bathsheba as he sits before her. But 
there is more in David, thus humble, contrite, 
and smitten, to win her sympathy, and even love, 
than there was in David the absolute, and, so far 
as she was concerned, tyrannical monarch, though 
surrounded with splendors, the favorite of God 
and man. A few days since, had he essayed the 
part of comforter, she would have felt her heart 
revolt; but now, repentant and forgiven, though 
not unpunished by Jehovah, she can listen with¬ 
out bitterness while he speaks of the mercy of 
the Lord which has suffered them both to live, 


208 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


though the law could have required their death, 
and which sustains even while it chastises. 

* # # # * 

Another message—by the hand of the prophet 
to David and Bathsheba— a message of peace 
and tender consideration, a name for their new¬ 
born child, the gift to them from his own hand. 
“ Call him Jedediah — beloved of the Lord.” 

“ 0 the depth of the riches both of the wis¬ 
dom and knowledge of God ! How unsearchable 
are his judgments and his ways past finding out! ” 
In his dealings with his sinful children, how fir 
are his ways above the ways of men! “ As the 

heaven is high above the earth, so great is his 
mercy towards them that fear him.” He deal- 
eth not with them after their sins ; he rewardeth 
them not according to their iniquities; but, know¬ 
ing their frame, remembering that they are dust, 
that a breath of temptation will carry them away, 
pitying them with a most tender compassion, he 
deals with them according to the everlasting, and 
abounding v and long-suffering love of his own 
mighty heart. Whenever those who have known 
him best, to whom he has manifested his grace 


BATHSHEBA. 


209 


most richly, whom he lias blessed with most 
abundant privileges, fall, in seme evil hour, and 
without reason, upon the slightest cause, bring 
dishonor on his name, and give occasion to his 
enemies to blaspheme, and incur- his just judg¬ 
ment, behold how he treats them. Upon the 
first sign of contrition, the first acknowledgment 
“ I have sinned/’ how prompt, how free, how 
full is the response, “The Lord also hath put 
away thy sin ; thou shalt not die ! ” No linger¬ 
ing resentment, no selfish reminding of his 
wounded honor, no thoughts but of love, warm, 
tender, self-forgetting love and pity for his 
sorrowing child. Even when he must resort to 
chastisement, “his strange work,” — when he 
must, for his great name’s sake, raise up for 
David evil out of his own house ; when he must, 
before the sun, and before all Israel, show his 
displeasure at sin; with one hand he applies the 
rod, and with the other pours into the bleeding 
heart the balm of consolation, so pure, so free, 
that his children almost feel that they could never 
have understood his goodness but for the need of 
his severity. When, notwithstanding the earnest 
18 * 


210 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


prayer of the father, he smites the child of his 
shame, how soon does he return with a better 
gift, — a son of peace, who shall remind him 
only of days of contrition and the favor of God, 
— a Jedediah, who shall ever be a daily witness 
to his forgiving love! 

And to those who suffer innocently from the 
crimes of others, how tender are the compassions 
of our heavenly Father ! To the injured, afflict¬ 
ed Bathsheba is given the honor of being the 
mother of Israel’s wisest, most mighty, and re¬ 
nowned king; and she is—by father and son, by 
the prophet of the Lord, by the aspirant to the 
throne, and by all around her — ever approached 
with that deference and confidence which her 
truly dignified character and gentle virtues, not 
less than her high station, demand. And while 
not a word of reproach is permitted to be left on 
record against her — on that monument of which 
we have before spoken, among mighty and 
worthy names, destined to stand when many 
of earth’s wisest and greatest are forgotten, 
with the progenitors of our Lord and Saviour, 
is inscribed hers “ who was the wife of Urias.” 


ABIGAIL. 


“ Providence is the light of history and the 
soul of the world/’ All times, all nations, all 
events are illumined by this light, and animated 
by this soul. Ceaselessly employed, forming 
fresh combinations, presenting new views, bring¬ 
ing about perpetually changing relations, all for the 
highest and noblest ends, Providence furnishes, 
even in its apparently trivial operations, a study 
most delightful and profound. When the ever- 
shifting drama descends, from the arena on 
which nations are the actors, to the humble 
sphere of private life, and presents only individ¬ 
ual history, the every-day incidents of mortality, 
the conflicts, the hopes and fears, and discipline, 
through which one immortal soul may pass in its 
upward journey, still it is often of intense inter¬ 
est, and brings forth in its progress mighty and 
stirring issues. It links together in strange bonds 
the destinies of prince and peasant, of noble and 
unrefined, and unites the present to the future by 


212 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


subtle and almost undistinguishable threads of in¬ 
terest and connection. Providence, in this world 
of sinners, works hand in hand with grace to re¬ 
store fallen man to the lost image of his Maker, 
and, in accomplishing the mighty task, lays hold 
on all available things, and puts to its utmost use 
every circumstance and incident of life. With 
all-pervading energy it is found presiding over 
the passions, and prejudices, and affections of hu¬ 
manity, and pressing into its service the natural 
affinities and instincts of our nature, causing all 
to work more or less harmoniously toward the one 
glorious result. “ Matches are made in heaven /’ 
says an old adage ; and the holy word assures us 
that “ a prudent wife is from the Lordand he 
who opens his eye to this truth as he studies his¬ 
tory, or observes passing life, shall have his labor 
amply repaid. 

“ There dwelt a man in Maon, whose posses¬ 
sions were in Carmeland those possessions 
consisted chiefly in flocks and herds, which his 
numerous servants cared for, at a distance, and 
exposed to danger from the hordes of predatory 
robbers which infested the country round Judea. 


ABIGAIL. 


213 


At the same time David, the son-in-law of the 
king and his anointed successor, was hiding him¬ 
self from Saul, and with his armed men com¬ 
passed and protected the shepherds and their 
charge, while they remained in their vicinity. It 
seemed but natural that it should be so. David 
did but follow the kindly impulse of a kind heart, 
or the dictate of a manly and fearless nature, and 
looked for no further result of the apparently 
accidental relation which for the time existed be¬ 
tween him and those he protected. Yet it was not 
chance, but design, that threw them thus together. 

The time of shearing came, and Nabal, as w r as 
customary, made a great feast. He, however, 
wholly neglected the injunctions which made it 
binding on him to remember the destitute in his 
hour of prosperity. David was now near by, 
and suffering with his army from actual want. 
Hearing of the festivities at Carmel, and feeling 
a two-fold claim on the man whom he had served, 
he sent messengers, begging him, in the most re¬ 
spectful terms, to supply their necessities. He 
did not know that Nabal was a churl, and was 
consequently not prepared for the impatient and 


214 


TIIE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


unkind message which was sent him in return. 
His anger was roused. “ Gird ye on every man 
his sword,” was his immediate and stern com¬ 
mand to his followers. They obeyed, “ and Da¬ 
vid also girded on his sword,” and, with thoughts 
of vengeance in his heart, departed with four 
hundred men for the place of the sheep-shearing. 

“A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the 
Lord directeth his steps.” While David and his 
men are thus preparing to return evil for evil, 
the ever-watcliful Providence is bringing about 
far other issues. Scarcely had the ill-natured 
Nabal uttered his bitter words before one of his 
young men, justly fearing the consequences, 
hastened to tell his mistress the exact state of 
affairs, and urge her, as he well knew he might, 
to take measures for preventing the evil which he 
was sure would come out of such conduct. Na¬ 
bal was a man of Belial, but his wife “ was a 
woman of good understanding, and of a beauti¬ 
ful countenance.” Be not surprised at the con¬ 
trast in these two, kind reader. We have said 
that Providence works to restore sinful man to 
holiness, and for this end, not for mere earthly 


ABIGAIL. 


215 


happiness, binds together human hearts and lives, 
and it often happens that the discipline which 
works most effectually for this result, is secured 
in what the world would call ill-assorted unions. 
We think we can perceive that Abigail's charac¬ 
ter was strengthened by the very unpleasant cir¬ 
cumstances in which she was placed. The faults 
of her husband called forth her excellences, and 
the unhappiness which must of necessity have 
attended her marriage, doubtless led her to find 
comfort in piety. As soon as she had heard the 
story of the young man, with ready mind she 
quickly devised her plan, and as promptly pre¬ 
pared to put it in execution. Little dreamed 
David of any obstacle in the way of his evil 
design, much less of the fair vision which sud¬ 
denly greeted his eyes, as he turned from the 
“ covert of the 11111,” and met the beautiful 
Abigail. It is not probable that - they had ever 
met until now, but she knew in an instant who 
stood before her, and “ dismounting from her ass, 
she hastened to pay him the reverential homage 
due to him, alike as the anointed of the Lord and 
the destined king of Israel; and kneeling at 


216 


TIIE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


his feet, addressed him in a strain so fraught 
with the spirit of wisdom and piety, so truly 
deferential, rising, as she proceeded, almost into 
prophecy, that we can hut wonder and admire.” 
“Not only does she with prudence and ready 
wit deprecate the anger of David by taking 
the trespass against him on herself, and asking 
his forgiveness, as if it was she who had offended; 
but she contrives to lessen the offence of Nabal 
by attributing it not to malice or determined 
enmity, but only to folly, which prevented his be¬ 
ing answerable for his own actions, and therefore 
not worthy of David’s further regard.” 

She then appeals, in the most beautiful and 
effective manner, to the principle of piety which 
she knew reigned in David’s heart, and with wo- 
manly tact evinces interest and sympathy in his 
hopes, and fears, and trials, while at the same 
time she administers a reproof so delicate, yet so 
just, that we have thought it may have given 
occasion for David’s recorded wish: “ Let the 
righteous smite me ; it shall be a kindness: let 
him reprove me ; it shall be an excellent oil, 
which shall not break my head.” 


ABIGAIL. 


217 


Surprised, touched, and effectually brought to 
his senses, David exclaims with fervor, “ Blessed 
be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this 
day to meet me : and blessed be thy advice, and 
blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from 
coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself 
with my own hand. For in very deed, as the 
Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me 
back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted 
and come to meet me, surely by the morning 
light there had not been one left to Nabal.” 

David turned back, a wiser man, and Abigail 
went to her cheerless home and her brutish hus¬ 
band. Her trials were severe, but they were 
speeding to their termination. It was useless to 
say anything to Nabal that night, overcome as he 
was with feasting and drunkenness, but in the 
morning she told him, as she felt it her duty, all 
she had done. His days and his crimes were 
numbered. “ These crimes came not indeed un¬ 
der The head of great delinquencies ; they were 
those petty sins of stingy selfishness, and an ag¬ 
gravating, disobliging temper, which grow upon 
us unconsciously, and we scarcely know their 
• 19 


218 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


influence till some awful stroke of judgment 
awakens us to what we might have been, and to 
what we are. His wife’s narrative was this 
awakening stroke to Nabal.” When he heard it, 
“ his heart died within him, and he became as a 
stone.” Ten days after, he w T as a dead man, and 
David once more exclaimed, “ Blessed be the 
Lord.” 

The tie which binds souls together who have 
aided each other in their Christian course, is one 
of the strongest known on earth. We never for¬ 
get those who have turned our feet from the 
paths of sin, and David remembered with grati¬ 
tude his sudden and strange interview with 
Abigail in the “ rocky defile of Carmel.” His 
heart turned toward her when he heard of Nabal’s 
death, and he sent messengers to her, and she 
became his wife, and was the mother of his son 
Daniel. There was, indeed, another to share her 
husband’s love, but doubtless she saw days of such 
happiness as she had never before experienced, 
“ though in worldly state and earthly possessions 
David could not compare with her former hus¬ 
band.” She became the companion of his wan- 


ABIGAIL. 


219 


dering and dangerous life, and was among those 
who were taken captive by the Amalekites, when 
they pillaged Ziklag in the absence of the men 
of war. The account is deeply affecting. Sent 
back by Achish, David and his men returned to the 
city, “and, behold, it was burned with fire; and 
their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, 
were taken captives. Then David and the people 
that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, 
until they had no more power to weep/’ How 
fared it with their sorrowing wives ? How did 
Abigail bear up in that sad flight from her home, 
her husband afar, no hope of return, everything 
to terrify and afflict, only slavery and anguish 
and dishonor before her ? Was she able to put 
her usual confidence in Israel’s God ? His prov¬ 
idence, which had hitherto watched over her, 
was working still. Was it not he who caused the 
Philistines to distrust their Hebrew allies, and sent 
them in that critical moment to the rescue ? Was 
it not he who so ordered it that the poor Egyp¬ 
tian should faint and sicken, and be left by the 
way, that he might guide them to the camp of 
theft foes ? “ And David recovered all that the 


220 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Amalekites had carried away ; and David rescued 
his two wives. And there was nothing lacking 
to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor 
daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they 
had taken to them. David recovered all.” 

We are not told how long Abigail lived, nor 
can we glean anything of interest concerning her 
son. As she had shared David’s wanderings and 
sorrows, she also had part in his triumph. When 
he took up his abode, at the command of God, in 
Hebron, and was anointed king, she was with 
him, and we cannot doubt that she was ever to 
him a faithful and wise counsellor, as well as a 
loving wife. 

Her history is instructive and interesting. Her 
“beautiful countenance” may have won David’s 
admiration, but her “good understanding” se¬ 
cured his esteem, and her piety drew on her his 
fervent blessing. The care of our heavenly Father 
for his creatures, and his hand in the smallest 
events, are strikingly displayed in their union, and 
in the circumstances which brought it to pass. 
Would we might learn in all things to commit 
our way into him ! 


THE MOTHER OE REHOBOAM. 

In our brief account of Bathsheba, we men¬ 
tioned that Solomon, her second son, was, by a 
message from God himself, to be named “ Jede- 
diah — beloved of the Lord.” Toward this child, 
so given, and so named, we might reasonably sup¬ 
pose the hearts of both David and Bathsheba 
would turn with peculiar interest and affection; 
and we are not surprised at the many proofs that 
this was the fact, and that his education was of 
the greatest importance in their eyes. “ I was 
my father's son,” says he, in the latter years of 
his life, “tender and only beloved in the sight of 
my mother; ” and goes on to repeat the instruc¬ 
tions lavished upon him. We are, however, par¬ 
ticularly interested in his testimony to his mother's 
faithful counsels, recorded in the last chapter of 
the Proverbs, in which he gives us “ the words of 
king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught 
him.” We cannot here repeat those wise in¬ 
structions, but we beg our readers to open the 
19 * 


222 


afl MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


book d,Y£il scan them closely, and see if they do 
not discern in them a mother’s instinctive persua¬ 
sion of her son’s besetting weakness, even in early 
life betraying itself, and a mother’s yearning de¬ 
sire to save him from a course which she feared, 
and justly, would ultimately prove his ruin. 
How earnestly, and in what glowing terms, does 
she descant on the excellences of a virtuous wife 
and the delights of true domestic bliss ! Contrast 
for a moment the caustic and bitter descriptions 
which he himself gives of those in whom he 
chose to place his trust, despite his mother’s 
warnings, and whose fascinations he found “more 
bitter than death,” with this most beautiful set¬ 
ting forth of true womanly attractions and worth. 
Alas for him ! King Solomon, with his surpass¬ 
ing wisdom, proved himself, in one most impor¬ 
tant particular, the fool he so often describes as 
despising instruction and hating reproof. He 
followed his own devices, and gathered about him 
a thousand wives, among whom, he tells us, he 
found not one true woman, and when he would 
describe such an one, unable to do it from his own 
experience, he is forced to recall his mother’s 


THE MOTHER OF REHOBOAM. 


223 


words, spoken to him in the days of his youth, 
thereby exalting one whom he always delighted 
to honor, though at his own expense. “ Doubt¬ 
less there were, among those he called by the 
sacred name of wife, many, who, if he had chosen 
one of them alone, and bound his heart to hers 
in true marriage, would have blessed him with 
woman's devoted and faithful love. But no 
woman could give her whole heart for the thou¬ 
sandth part of a man's. And no man who 
divides his affections among a thousand can know 
the blessedness of loving only one." 

Solomon, so far as we can learn, had only one 
son, and it appears to us a judgment of Heaven 
that it should have been so, especially as that son 
w r as such an one as to cause him to exclaim, in 
bitterness of spirit, as he contemplated the glory 
of his kingdom, and remembered who should 
inherit it, “I hated all my labor which I had 
taken under the sun, because I should leave it 
unto the man that shall be after me. And who 
knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool ? 
Yet he shall have rule over all my labor wherein 
I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself 


224 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


wise under the sun.” Head faithfully the account 
given of the imbecile and evil-minded Rehoboam, 
and you will not wonder at the mournful forebod¬ 
ings of the father’s heart. Through forty years 
he had counselled and instructed and warned him 
in vain. How earnestly he entreats him to “ seek 
wisdom,” to “cry after knowledge,” to search 
for understanding, and how fruitless his exhorta¬ 
tions ! Well was it for him that his eyes closed 
to earthly scenes before the folly and crimes of 
this only son dismembered his fair kingdom, dis¬ 
persed his people, and scattered his vast treasures 
to the winds. 

“ Why was it thus ? ” is often asked. “ Why 
should so wise a father have had so foolish a son ? ’ ’ 
As well ask why example is ever a more effective 
teacher than precept. As well inquire why the 
education of our children is advancing more surely 
and constantly under the influences we are uncon¬ 
sciously exerting upon them, than under those we 
bring designedly to bear. How could the son of 
the man, who, — though he uttered three thousand 
proverbs, and sung songs a thousand and five ; 
who wrote on all known species of plants, “from 


THE MOTHER OF REHOBOAM. 


225 


the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that springeth 
out of the wall—of beasts, of fowls, of creeping 
things and of fishes ; ” whose wisdom the queen of 
Sheba came to hear, — was yet so weak as to have 
his heart turned from the living God by strange 
women, be otherwise than foolish ? But if this 
be not reason enough, we can look further. “ We 
hear,” it is said, “of foolish sons having wise 
fathers, and of foolish fathers having wise sons, 
but rarely of a wise son having had a foolish 
mother.” 

Who, then, was Rehoboam’s mother ? The 
simple record of Scripture is, “ Naamah, an Am- 
monitess.” Brief, but emphatic. Her history, 
as we glean by diligent searching, is this : Solo¬ 
mon, as early as in his eighteenth year, before the 
death of his father and mother (and the fact is 
significant, taken in connection with their counsel 
to him, and evident fears concerning him), mar¬ 
ried a daughter of the hated and hating Ammon¬ 
ites, and before he was twenty was a father — his 
only son called her mother. She was a descend¬ 
ant of those who refused needed assistance to the 
Israelites on their weary march from Egypt; and 


226 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


not only so, but hired Balaam, the son of Peor, 
to curse them as they passed, for which unkind¬ 
ness Jehovah commanded, “ An Ammonite shall 
not enter into the congregation of the Lord.” 
“ Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their pros¬ 
perity all their days forever.” It was the Am¬ 
monites against whom Jephthah fought, and for 
victory over whom he sacrificed his daughter. It 
was the Ammonites who abused David’s messen¬ 
gers, whose royal city, Rabbah, Joab besieged so 
long, and the inhabitants of whose towns David 
put to torture. The malignant, and bitter, and 
scoffing enemies of Israel, ever on the watch to 
afflict and terrify the chosen people, they were 
found, at all times during their history, ready to 
mock and taunt and hinder their peace, and 
brought down upon themselves at last the most 
fearful imprecations of Jehovah. 4 ‘Behold, the 
days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an 
alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Am¬ 
monites, and it shall be a desolate heap, and her 
daughters shall be burned with fire.” “ Son of 
man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and 
prophesy against them : Hear the word of the 


THE MOTHER OF REHOBO AM. 


227 


Lord God: thus saith the Lord God ; Because 
thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary when it 
was profaned; and against the land of Israel 
when it was desolate ; and against the house of 
Judah when they w T ent into captivity; behold, 
therefore, I will deliver thee to the men of the 
east for a possession. And I will make Kabbah 
a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couch¬ 
ing place for flocks ; and ye shall know that I am 
the Lord.” 

So abhorrent to Jehovah were the people from 
whom Solomon chose his wife, the mother of his 
son. And to that wife he gave heed more than 
to the law of his God. He did, indeed, build a 
magnificent temple to the worship of the Eternal, 
and offered at its dedication one of the most sub¬ 
lime prayers ever poured forth from mortal lips ; 
but then, weakest, most inconsistent of men that 
he was, he erected on “the hill which was before 
Jerusalem” a high place for Moloch, the abomi¬ 
nation of Ammon, that his idolatrous wife might 
offer sacrifices and bum incense to her god. Is it 
at all surprising that Rehoboam “prepared not 
his heart to seek the Lord ? ” that he forsook the 


228 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


wise counsel of his father’s friends, and adhered 
to that of vain, ignorant persons, like himself? 
Is it strange that he only served Jehovah from 
fear, and forsook him when he felt himself secure ? 
Is it at all to be wondered at, that, in his days, 
“ Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and 
provoked him to jealousy with their sins, and built 
them high places, and images, and groves, on 
every high hill and under every green tree ” ? 

It would be interesting to inquire, had we time, 
what was the nature of that worship which Reho- 
boam’s mother offered to this idol, known under 
three names, Moloch, Melcom, and Milcom, and 
there are many points which we would like to 
touch upon, but cannot. We once more entreat 
our readers not to be satisfied for a moment with 
these meagre sketches, but to “ search the Scrip¬ 
tures ” for themselves. They will not lose their 
reward. 

There are lessons of deep interest to take 
home to our hearts from the lives of those we 
have been considering. The first is to “ wait for 
the Lord.” How dark, and long, and tedious, 
must have seemed the years of Solomon’s reign to 


THE MOTHER OF REHOBOAM. 


229 


the truly spiritual souls among the Israelites! 
Notwithstanding the outward glory and magnifi¬ 
cence, they knew that rottenness and corruption 
worked within. No good could come to Israel, 
when those who were his bitter enemies had more 
influence at court than any others. How strange 
it still appears to many that the Almighty should 
have borne, through forty years, the disobedience 
and follies and crimes of one whom he had so 
richly gifted, and from whom he had withheld no 
earthly good. He sees not as man sees. Even 
for this end was Solomon raised up, that he might 
present to all coming ages the spectacle of the 
most elevated, most powerful, wisest, richest of 
men, searching for happiness in the things beneath 
the sun ; trying, and having the ability, and the 
means to try, to his heart's content, every source 
of earthly gratification, and forced to write on all 
4 ‘vanity, and vexation of spirit," and to come 
humbly and penitently, through a most bitter ex¬ 
perience, to the conviction, at last, that “to fear 
God and keep his commandments" is the only 
way of safety and peace to man. Ye who have 
sons and daughters who are not satisfied with your 
20 


230 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


assurance that you have tried the way of the world, 
and found it vanity, but who wish to prove it 
themselves ; who, in their small way, are bent on 
working out anew King Solomon’s problem, “ wait 
on the Lord and be of good courage.” The end 
is not yet. “ Great and singular is the honor 
which God has set upon patient waiting for him. 
Man, seeing not as God sees, sets higher value 
upon his fellows’ active works — the bright deeds 
of days and hours. God values these also ; but he 
does not assign them the same preeminence as man 
does ; he does not allow them any preeminence 
over that constant and long-enduring strugglewith 
the risings of the natural mind, which is evinced 
in long and steady waiting, under all discourage¬ 
ments, for him, in the assured conviction that he 
will come at last for deliverance and protection, 
although his chariot wheels tarry long.” His 
plans are far-reaching ; and although you long for 
the immediate conversion and present usefulness 
of your children, he may see that, as in Solomon’s 
case, the long, and tardy, and difficult process, 
and the final reluctant confession and return, shall 


THE MOTHER OF REHOBO AM. 


231 


work in more and better ways for the good of his 
kingdom. Therefore learn “to labor and to 
wait.” 

But there is yet another lesson to the young, 
who are starting forth upon the paths of life, and 
are unwilling to profit by the experience, or 
accept the counsels, of their parents and friends. 
Although you may have the satisfaction of follow¬ 
ing your own chosen way through many years, 
and by the grace of God at last be saved, so as 
by fire, you cannot repair the wrong which such 
a course will do to those dependent on you. Sol¬ 
omon might have learned the lesson of fearing 
God from his father, and might have been per¬ 
suaded by his mother's affectionate entreaties to 
choose a virtuous wife. Then, instead of the dis¬ 
appointment and anguish he suffered from seeing 
his son foolish and impious, and having the judg¬ 
ments of God denounced upon him; dying in dis¬ 
grace, and dishonor, and disappointment; he 
might have been blessed with woman’s true love, 
obedient children, and a long-continued posterity 
upon the throne of his father. No late repentance 


232 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


could possibly accomplish for others what an 
upright and consistent life -would have done. 
Therefore the wicked Rehoboam lived and died 
the monument of his father’s sin, and of his 
mother’s hatred to the God of the Israelites. 


THE MOTHER OE ABIJAII. 

The following beautiful account is from Dr. 
Kitto’s Daily Bible Illustrations, which we copy 
as being far before anything we could say, and 
which covers all the ground. And we take occa¬ 
sion here to urge our readers to make themselves 
familiar with the writings of this noble scholar, 
and benefactor of all Bible students. 

“ This quiet place apart, among the enclosing 
hills, is Shiloh. It was once the seat of the 
Lord's tabernacle, his altar, and his ark, and was 
then replete with holy activities and solemn 
sounds. But, since these departed, it has been 
well-nigh forsaken, and has relapsed into a silent 
village, or small rural town. Yet still holy 
things are here—holy men, who have found here 
a sort of refuge from the wickedness of the time 
— a quiet retreat, favorable to sacred memories, 
and to the nourishment of holy thoughts. Among 
them is Abijah, that old prophet who rent the 
20 * 


234 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


new cloak of Jeroboam, and promised him the 
largest share of the divided kingdom. He is 
now blind. Upon the outer world, made foul by 
man’s abominations, he has closed his eyes, and 
sees and lives by the light that shines within. 

“ Now observe that woman stealing down the 
street, and seeking the old prophet’s house. By 
her guise she is of the peasantry, and she bears 
a basket. Yet her gait scarcely befits her garb ; 
and the quick, furtive glance she casts around 
her, her coarse hood-veil, betray some conscious 
concealment, some fear of recognition, some pur¬ 
pose she would not wish to have known. 

“ This woman, mean as she seems, is the lady 
of the land; and, although her basket contains 
but a few cakes and biscuit, and a little honey, 
she might, if she pleased, have filled it with 
precious and costly things. She is the wife of 
Jeroboam — as far as we know, his only wife — 
the mother of his heir; and, therefore, if he had 
a score of wives, the chief of them all. That 
heir, by name Abijali, is alarmingly ill ; and, at 
the instance of Jeroboam, and impelled by moth¬ 
erly love, that royal lady has come all the way 


THE MOTHER OF ABIJAH. 


235 


from Tirzah, in this disguise, that she may learn 
from the prophet what is to become of her son ; 
and the things in her basket are gifts for the man 
of God, suited to the condition she had assumed. 
The disguise was thought necessary to conceal 
this visit from the people, and partly in the idle 
hope of obtaining, in the semblance of another, 
the desired answer, unmixed with the reproof 
and denunciation which Jeroboam knew that his 
conduct had been calculated to draw dowrn from 
the prophet who had foretold his exaltation. He 
thus foolishly thought to coerce the Lord, through 
his prophet, out of an answer of peace, and 
slyly to evade the judgment he feared might be 
connected with it; and he idly calculated that 
the prophet, whose view could extend into the 
future, hid in the counsels of God, could not see 
through a present matter wrapped up only in the 
thin cover of a woman’s hood. 

“ All this fine contrivance w T as blown to pieces 
the moment the wife of Jeroboam crossed Abi- 
jah’s threshold; for then she heard the voice of 
the blind prophet— £ Come in, thou wife of 
Jeroboam ; why feignest thou thyself to be an 


236 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


other ? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings/ 
He then broke forth in a strong tide of denuncia¬ 
tion against Jeroboam, because he had sinned, and 
made Israel to sin ; and the voice which had pro¬ 
claimed his rise from a low estate to royal power, 
now, with still stronger tone, proclaimed the down¬ 
fall and ruin of his house — quenched in blood — 
its members to find tombs only in the bowels of 
beasts and birds. There was one exception — 
only one. The youth of whom she came to in¬ 
quire, he only should come to his grave in peace, 
by dying of his present disease, because in him 
only was ‘ found some good thing towards the 
Lord God of Israel in the house’ of Jeroboam/ 

“ Woful tidings these for a mother's heart, 
and scarcely, perhaps, intelligible to her stunned 
intellect. Here was a beginning of judgment 
upon Jeroboam, and upon her, because she was 
his. Judgment in taking away the only well- 
conditioned and worthy son ; and judgment stored 
up in and for the ill-conditioned ones who were 
suffered to remain. God, when it suits the pur¬ 
pose of his wisdom and his justice, can afflict no 
less by what he spares than by what he takes. 


THE MOTHER OF ABIJAH. 


237 


“Yet there was mercy in his judgment; 
mercy, strange as it seems to say, to him on 
whom the sentence of death was passed. It is 
so stated; and it is more intelligible than it 
seems. It was because there was some good 
thing found in him that he should die. Death 
was to be for him a reward, a blessing, a deliver¬ 
ance. He should die peaceably upon his bed; 
for him all Israel should mourn ; for him many 
tears be shed, and he should be brought with 
honor to his tomb. More than all, he would be 
taken from his part in the evil that hung over 
his house, and the Lord’s vindicatory justice 
would thus be spared the seeming harshness of 
bringing ruin upon a righteous king for his 
father’s crimes. Alas! how little do we know 
the real objects of the various incidents of life 
and death — of mercy, of punishment, and of 
trial! In this case the motives are disclosed ; 
and we are suffered to glance upon some of the 
great secrets of death, which form the trying 
mysteries of life. Having the instance, we can 
find the parallels of lives, full of hope and prom¬ 
ise, prematurely taken, and that in mercy, we 


238 


THE MOTHERS OP THE BIBLE. 


can judge, to those who depart. The heavenly 
Husbandman often gathers for his garner the 
fruit that early ripens, without suffering it to 
hang needlessly long, beaten by storms, upon the 
tree. 0, how often, as many a grieved heart 
can tell, do the Lord’s best beloved die betimes, 
taken from the evil to come, while the unripe, the 
evil, the injurious, live long for mischief to them¬ 
selves and others! Eoses and lilies wither far 
sooner than thorns and thistles. 

“ Doleful were the tidings which the disguised 
princess had to bear back to the beautiful town 
of Tirzah. All remoter griefs were, probably, 
to her swallowed up in this, which rung contin¬ 
ually in her ears in all her homeward way: 
‘ When thy feet enter into the city the child 
shall die.’ It is heavy tidings to a mother that 
she must lose her well-beloved son; but it is a 
grievous aggravation of her trouble that she 
might not see him before he died. They who 
were about him knew not that he was to die 
to-day, and, therefore, could not estimate the 
preciousness of his last hours, and the privilege 
of being there near him, and of receiving his 


THE MOTHER OF ABIJAII. 


239 


embrace. She knew; and she might not be 
near, nor pour out upon her dying son the ful¬ 
ness of a mother’s heart. Knowing that her son 
lay on his death-bed, her first impulse must have 
been to fly home to receive his dying kiss, but 
her second, to linger by the way, as if to pro¬ 
tract that dear life which must close the moment 
she entered the city. Never, surely, before or 
since, was a distressed mother so wofully torn 
between the contrary impulses of her affection ! 

“At last her weary steps reached the city, 
and as she entered its gates her son died, and 
she was only just in time to press to her arms the 
heart still warm, although it had ceased to beat. ,J 


1 


JEZEBEL. 


Alas, that a name which has descended to 
us so covered with reproach, which has become a 
proverb, an epithet most odious, must be num¬ 
bered and enrolled in our list of mothers ! Alas, 
that to one so evil should have been permitted 
sacred maternal ties ! Alas, that sweet, ductile 
infancy and childhood should ever have been in¬ 
trusted to hands so profane ! 

We shrink from the task imposed upon us, of 
portraying a character which becomes more re¬ 
volting the deeper we study into it, which amazes 
us by its utter deformity, and seems to have no 
redeeming traits. 

It has been said that Jezebel sat for the pic¬ 
ture which Shakspeare has drawn of Lady Mac¬ 
beth ; but, if it be so, Nature’s unrivalled por¬ 
trait-painter, for once, fell far short of his 
original. He does, indeed, make his heroine, 
“ burning with unquenchable desire to bear the 
name of queen,” cherish horrible imaginings un- 


JEZEBEL. 


241 


til she fancies she can dare and do. But Jezebel’s 
cold, cruel nature needs no such working up. 
The daughter and wife of a king, and mother of 
kings and queens, no such bauble as a crown 
attracts her ; but, if it did, she would find a way 
to gain it, nor scruple at the means. The lady 
of the drama invokes with brave words, — 

“ Come, you spirits 

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, 

And fill me, from crown to the toe, top full 
Of direst cruelty ” — 

yet shrinks appalled from the resemblance to her 
father in the sleeping Duncan, and faints when 
she finds her husband has added the murder of 
the chamberlains to that of the king. In Jeze¬ 
bel we vainly look for one womanly relenting, 
one gentle weakness to soften the hard lines of 
more than masculine firmness. To accomplish 
her fell purposes she can deliberately attempt the 
extirpation from Israel of every prophet of Jeho- 
vah, nor shrink one moment from its execution. 
She can look calmly on while famine stalks gaunt 
and fearful through her husband’s fair kingdom, 
destroying every green thing, and turning to a 
21 


242 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


barren waste the rich and fertile fields, and bring¬ 
ing unutterable distress on all his subjects. One 
word of sincere repentance from her might stay 
the desolation ; but in her judgment it would be 
better that the whole nation perish with hunger 
and drought than that her designs should be frus¬ 
trated. She can coolly summon the innocent to 
a mockery of judgment, and as coolly exult that 
he is not alive, but stoned and dead. She can 
threaten the Lord’s messenger with an oath more 
becoming a pirate’s than a woman’s mouth ; and 
w T ho for one moment doubts that she will fulfil 
the horrible intent, if she has opportunity, or 
supposes that any feminine delicacy, any “milk 
of human kindness,” will prevent her “playing 
false,” or “catching the nearest way” to her 
expected end ? 

The w r ife of the thane of Glamis urges her 
husband on to his deed, and reproaches him with 
his timidity. 

“ From this time 

Such I account thy love. Art thou afeared 
To be the same in thine own act and valor 
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that 
Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, 


JEZEBEL. 


243 


And live a coward in thine own esteem, 

Letting ‘ I dare not ’ wait upon £ I would ’ ? ” 

Forcible words,' but yet a woman's argument. 
Hear with what a concentration of contempt and 
self-sufficiency, which scorns all sense of need, 
much more, dependence on another’s act, the 
haughty queen of Israel addresses her baby hus¬ 
band, whining for his neighbor’s land : 

“ Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Is¬ 
rael ? Arise and eat bread, and let thy heart 
be merry ; I will give thee the field of Naboth 
the Jezreelite.” 

When the guilty deed is done to which Mac¬ 
beth and his wife have wrought themselves, and 
conscience fills him with terrors, and he com¬ 
plains pitifully of the two men who spoke to his 
affrighted ear, in their sleep, 

“ One cried, ‘ God bless us,’ and 1 Amen ’ the other, 

As they had seen these hangman’s hands. 

Listening their fear, I could not say amen, 

When they did say, ‘ God bless us.’ 

Wherefore could I not pronounce amen ? 

I had most need of blessing, and amen 
Stuck in my throat.” 


244 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


She strives to answer with quiet unconcern 
and indifference, but betrays her own inward 
trembling: 


“ Consider it not so deeply, 

These deeds must not be thought 

After these ways ; so it will make us mad.” 

And working “ deeply,” the thought did make 
her mad, and rendered her nights restless, and 
her days wretched, and finally raised her stained 
“little hand” to the last act of self-destruction. 

Would we could find one trace of conscience 
or of introspection in the subject of our study. 
But no such signs of better nature appear. Un¬ 
awed, unmoved,' she passes on alike through 
miracles of judgment and of mercy. “ Ahab can¬ 
not entirely divest himself of every national 
characteristic, or the remembrances and associa¬ 
tions of his faith and his people. There still 
cling to him some remains of the fear of the 
4 Lord God of his fathers,' some feelings of rev¬ 
erence and awe for the name and worship of 
Jehovah. No such compunctions trouble Jeze¬ 
bel. When Elijah visits Ahab, the impious mon- 


JEZEBEL. 


245 


arch quails before him, and trembles at the 
denunciations of divine wrath. Jezebel answers 
his reproof by scorn and threats, and her men¬ 
aces drive the prophet from the altar where he 
has triumphed.” Famine,— blood, — the fire 
from heaven which attests Jehovah’s Godhead, 
and puts to confusion her idolatrous priests, — 
prophetic warnings,—the fearful death of her 
husband and sons, — the certainty and awfulness 
of her own doom, — the remembrance of direful 
crimes ; nothing, — nothing has power for one 
moment to awe her spirit or subdue her indomit¬ 
able will. She is Jezebel to the last moment, 
when, with painted face and tired head, and 
scornful, taunting words, she mocks the con¬ 
queror, under whose chariot wheels she is the 
next instant crushed. 

If Shakspeare attempted to delineate such a 
character, who can blame him that he came not 
up to that which no mortal might dare, and hope 
to retain the reputation of being true to nature ? 
None but he who sees not as man sees—who 
looks upon the heart, might expect to be believed 
when testifying of one so “ desperately wicked.” 

2i# 


246 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of 
Tyre and Sidon. The natural pride of her heart 
was nursed from youth in that queenly city, 
“which sat enthroned on ivory, covered with 
blue and purplethe merchant city, whose 
merchants were princes, whose traffickers were 
the honorable of the earth, — whose wares, em¬ 
eralds, purple and broidered work, and fine linen, 
and coral and agate, were the desire of all 
nations, — whose king had supplied Solomon 
with men and materials for the temple at Jerusa¬ 
lem. A rival temple rose under Jezebel’s in¬ 
fluence at Samaria, dedicated to Baal, whose 
worship she determined should be extended 
throughout her husband’s kingdom, whatever the 
means which must be used to accomplish it. 
Too well did she succeed. Ahab sold himself, 
under her arts, to work such wickedness as was 
never before known in Israel, and the number of 
those who bowed not the knee to Baal was re¬ 
duced, by her indefatigable efforts, to seven 
thousand, among the millions of Israel, and these 
so scattered and fearful, that Elijah knew not of 
their existence. 


JEZEBEL. 


247 

N 

As a mother, we shall have occasion to speak 
of Jezebel hereafter. We beg our readers to 
acquaint themselves thoroughly with this most 
interesting period of Hebrew history, and espe¬ 
cially to search out the remarkable prophecies 
fulminated against Tyre, while then in the very 
summit of her glory, and their more remarkable 
fulfilment. To stimulate their curiosity, we will 
speak of one instance. “ Ships from Tyre, out 
on a three years'voyage, returned to find the 
city razed to the ground, which they had left, 
and looked to find once more in the perfection 
of beauty, giving a significance to the prophecy 
of Isaiah not at first obvious, —“ Howl, ye ships 
of Tarshish ; for it is laid waste, so that there is 
no house, no entering in. Howl, ye ships of 
Tarshish ; for your strength is laid waste." 

0, that we could persuade the young to study 
the Bible with diligence and interest! They 
would soon find that it surpasses all other books, 
and say with another, while contemplating the 
loftiest flights of human genius, 

“ Great God ! when once compared with thine, 

How mean their writings look ! ” 


ATHALIAH. 


It is a time of almost universal rejoicing in 
Samaria. One theme burdens every tongue, and 
absorbs all thoughts. In the palace, sounds of 
revelry and mirth are heard, and gorgeous sights 
are seen. The magnificent apartments are rivalled 
only by Tyrian splendor—the ends of the earth 
have contributed to the sumptuous entertainments 
— nor wealth nor labor have been spared to make 
the wedding feast of the royal daughter of Israel 
and the royal son of Judah eclipse all similar 
feasts and scenes. 

There is rejoicing in the palace. Ahab, 
roused from his indolence and easy indifference, 
feels unwonted satisfaction as he bestows his 
child on the heir of Judah’s crown, and hopes the 
union will give him useful allies in the place of 
dreaded foes, and perhaps bring the hitherto con¬ 
tending tribes again under one dominion. Jeze¬ 
bel rejoices. Athaliah is her only daughter, but 
she is a child after her mother’s own heart. 


ATHAUAH. 


249 


With far-seeing eye, and deep knowledge of 
human nature, she looks into the future, and her 
heart shrinks not from its own prophesyings. She 
fears not,-though her child is to be removed from 
her influence and surrounded with the worship¬ 
pers of Jehovah. She has sown her seed faith¬ 
fully ; she has watched and watered the springing 
shoots ; by example and precept she has trained 
this object of her care, and she has no doubts of' 
the harvest. Her gratification is without alloy as 
she sees her wedded to Jehoram, and hails her, 
in anticipation, queen of Judah. 

There is rejoicing in the city. Long and 
dreary has been the separation between those 
who were once brethren. But though bitter 
thoughts and feelings have often been cherished, 
the old love was not extinct, and now it is ready 
to revive and flourish, and its fruit is joy. Now 
all are full of hope. No more envying and strife; 
no more shedding of kindred blood; union and 
peace shall again prevail. Some, whose hearts 
have not wholly gone after idols, are glad in the 
hope of visiting once more the holy city, and 
the temple of their God, and dream of returning 


250 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


days of gladness, such as were in the olden time, 
and eie they are aware, find themselves singing 
the sweet songs of Zion, and feel an exhilaration 
of spirit to which they have long been * strangers. 
It is not so, indeed, with all. A few there are 
whose hearts are not so sanguine — who wonder if 
direction has been asked of the Lord in this mat¬ 
ter— who wonder where Elijah is, and what he 
'says—who have great confidence in JelioranTs 
father, but yet dread the mingling of the two 
courts, and the influence of Athaliah over the 
young prince. They are few, however; the 
majority are filled with the most delightful hopes. 

There is rejoicing in the groves, and high 
places, and in the temples of Baal and Ashtaroth ; 
wild, fearful rejoicing, and the bridal is there 
celebrated with rites so profane, and orgies so im¬ 
pious, that we attempt not their description. The 
priests which sit at Jezebel's table enter into the 
anticipations of their mistress. They, too, are 
glad in the hope of a union between Israel and 
Judah, but it is a union not for good, but for evil, 
which they desire. They look to see Baal yet 
enshrined in Jerusalem. They are glad in ex- 


ATHALIAH. 


251 


pectation of the overthrow of that mighty power 
which so confounded them at Carmel. They 
hope yet to triumph over the mocking prophet 
who derided them in the day of their confusion. 
They shout with new exultation as they predict 
that the priests of Jehovah will soon share the 
fate of their friends who perished so ingloriously 
at Kish on. 

Jehoram takes his bride to her new home. Her 
youth, and already queenly beauty and dignity, 
become her station well. She is welcomed and 
prospered, and all things smile on the noble pair. 
It is meet there should be rejoicing and gladness. 

It is a time of woe in Jerusalem ! Mourners 
go about the streets, and sadness sits on all coun¬ 
tenances. The good Jehoshaphat is gathered to 
his fathers. Twenty-five years he has reigned, 
“ doing that which was right in the sight of the 
Lord,” and receiving on himself and his king¬ 
dom the blessing of those who serve him. He is 
gone, and who will now stand in his place ? 
Many times has he travelled through the land, 
from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, to 


252 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


strengthen his people in the faith, and to bring 
back many to Jehovah, the God of their fathers. 
Who will again prove so good a shepherd to this 
wandering flock ? Who, in the hour of peril, 
will offer sublime and effectual prayer ? Who 
will manifest animating and encouraging faith in 
Jehovah, as he did, even appointing singers to go 
before his army to keep their hearts from faint¬ 
ness by praising the enduring mercy of their 
God ? Who will now see that justice is done in 
every fenced city and every hamlet, and enforce 
the law of the Lord ? 

Jehoshapliat is dead. Reason enough for Sor¬ 
row ; but this is not the sole cause of the gloom 
which pervades the land of Judah. In untimely 
graves, slain by a brother’s hand, lie his six 
noble sons, with many of their companions, “ the 
princes of Israel; ” and many homes are desolate, 
many hearts suddenly widowed, many children 
are fatherless, and fear falls on all. Why was 
this deed done ? These were inoffensive men, 
enjoying quietly and contentedly the privileges 
granted them by their father. Jehoram has the 
throne. Can he not sit securely there except 


ATHALIAH. 


253 


these are put out of life ? Who instigated this 
needless cruelty ? Alas! Jehoram has the 
daughter of Ahab and Jezebel for his wife, and 
the same evil policy which has so long governed 
in Israel now bears sway in Judah. Darkness 
begins to gather even over the holy city and the 
temple of Jehovah. 

Years bring no changes for the better. Am¬ 
bition and selfishness are the ruling principles of 
the court. The pure worship of the living God 
is fast being superseded by the idolatrous services 
to Baal. Groves and high places are frequented, 
and there is none to recall with gentle voice, and 
kindly admonition, these straying sheep. The 
king is their adviser to evil, and even obliges 
them to do honor to idols. The children follow 
the steps of their parent. “ The sons of Atha- 
liah, that wicked woman ,” says the sacred record, 
“ broke up the house of God, and also all the ded¬ 
icated things of the house of the Lord did they 
bestow upon Baalim.” Retribution at length 
begins. Tributary nations revolt; but as God is 
not sought unto against them, no divine blessing, 
as of old, accompanies the armies, and the king 
22 


254 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


fails to subdue them. Philistines, Arabians, 
Ethiopians, combine and ravish the country, and 
carry away even the treasures of Jehoram’s house 
and drag his children to captivity and death. 
The hand of the Lord, whom he has forsaken, is 
in all these calamities, and is at length laid heav¬ 
ily on his own person. A loathsome and incur¬ 
able disease brings him to the grave, and he 
departs from life regretted by none, not even by 
the wife of his youth, to whose favor and influ¬ 
ence he has sacrificed his own welfare and that 
of his kingdom ; who has been to him in the 
place of his father's God, and whose selfish, 
cruel nature has overborne every kindly impulse, 
every generous and good principle, which might 
have governed him in his younger days, when his 
father chose to leave him successor to his throne. 

Athaliah, unhumbled by the afflictions which 
have befallen her, unsoftened by the sufferings of 
her husband and children, having acted the part 
of an evil wfife, now assumes one still more re¬ 
volting. Her only remaining son ascends the 
throne of his father. He is not a boy. Forty- 
two years have afforded him much experience and 


ATHALIAH. 


255 


instruction. The greater part of his life has been 
spent under the benign and gracious influences 
of his grandfather’s reign, and he has seen in his 
father’s course the bitter consequences of depart¬ 
ing from the Lord. Perhaps he may choose the 
better path. Perchance, trembling at the awful 
denunciations of divine wrath, he may be induced 
to walk cautiously, and save himself and his peo¬ 
ple. There is hope yet for Judah. Vain expec¬ 
tation ! “ Ahaziah walked in the ways of the 

house of Ahab : for his mother xoas his counsellor 
to do wickedly .” 

How great the change which has passed over 
the chosen people since the day of that joyous 
bridal, which was to so many the harbinger of all 
good things ! Jehovah is forsaken. Baal is for 
the time triumphant. In place of Zion’s songs 
are the profane shouts of idolaters, or the secret 
groans and tears of those who mourn over the 
desolations of the sanctuary as for the loss of a 
first-born! IIow great the change from the 
youthful bride, to Athaliah, the wife and mother, 
whose very name is an execration ! 


256 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


It is a time of unmitigated horror in the land 
of Judea. Words fail to describe it. Imagina¬ 
tion shrinks, appalled, on the threshold of the 
scene. A most bitter cup is wrung out for hun¬ 
dreds of agonized hearts. In days long gone, in 
the field of the murdered Naboth, the stern prophet 
of the Lord had foretold to Ahab an awful scene 
of destruction which should come upon his family 
for his sins, and that himself should be the first 
victim of divine vengeance. Ahab died as was 
predicted ; but years have rolled since then, and 
no sign of any further fulfilment of those prophet¬ 
ic words has yet appeared, and those most con¬ 
cerned pursue their evil way, wholly regardless 
of them, and apparently without fear. Elijah has 
left the earth, and can harm them no more, — at 
least, so they thought, — until, mysteriously, six 
years after his ascension, there came from his 
hand the fearful “writing” to Jehoram, which 
warned him of the trouble that awaited him, and 
which was so exactly accomplished. Perhaps 
they sometimes tremble lest they should again 
see his hated form, or hear his terrible words. 
Perhaps they now and then remember Elijah’s 


ATH ALIAII. 


257 


God, and for a moment quail. But if such 
thoughts do visit them, they have no restraining 
or beneficial effect. Jezebel still rules over her 
son and his people in Israel, and Athaliah follows 
her footsteps in« Jerusalem, little dreaming of the 
storm so soon to burst upon them. 

The time has now come ! Blood flows in the 
streets of Jezreel, and blood flows in Samaria! 

— at the shearing-house in the way; in the 
house of Baal; in Jerusalem ! Human life has 
no value. Human affections are a thing of 
naught. Nobles and princes fall by a bloody 
executioner, and not a hand is lifted in their 
defence. She who was yesterday the reigning 
queen of Israel — the haughty daughter of Tyre, 
at whose word men trembled—to-day, nothing 
can be found of her but the palms of her hands 
and the soles of her feet! 

But of all the horrors of this awful time, those 
enacted in Jerusalem exceed the rest. A 
woman’s hand will outdo even the blood-thirsty, 
cold-hearted Jehu. The sudden appearance of 
men bearing the body of her just murdered son 

— the destruction of all her kindred—the dread 

22 * 


258 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ful death of her mother — nothing can for a mo¬ 
ment turn Athaliah from her thoughts of self- 
aggrandizement, from accomplishing her own 
ambitious designs. She will imbrue her hands 
in blood.. She will not take the life of men, but 
of children — infants — the offspring of her only 
son — those whose first lispings called her grand¬ 
mother ! 

We can follow her no further. We sicken at 
the sight of such a monster sitting on the throne 
of David. We said there appeared no redeem¬ 
ing traits in Jezebel’s character ; but, when com¬ 
pared with her daughter, she is to be praised. 
“ Some of the feelings of the woman, the ten¬ 
derness of the wife, the fondness of the mother, 
still seem to have lingered in her proud heart. 
Unprincipled as she was, she did not abandon 
herself to utter selfishness. In her most atrocious 
acts she seems to have had some regard to the 
aggrandizement of her family, and to the gratifi¬ 
cation of her husband. Athaliah is utterly selfish, 
devoid even of the instinct of natural affection. 
Although the depravity of Jezebel led her to 
adopt a corrupt religion, to reject a pure and 


ATHALIAH. 


259 


holy worship, and cling to the dark and cruel 
rites of heathenism, the voice of conscience was 
not silenced, the light of the soul was not entire¬ 
ly extinguished. She felt the need of some faith: 
she clung to the altars of her gods. But Athaliah 
seems to have sunk into the brutishness of those 
who own £ no God.’ She seems to have tram¬ 
pled on all faith, as she violated all obligation. 
She had high mental endowments; she had a 
powerful will and strong passions, but she had no 
affections. There have been many Jezebels, but 
few Athaliahs.” 

The children of both these mothers were such 
as we should expect, save only one, Jehosheba, 
the daughter of Athaliah, and wife of Jehoidah 
the high priest. She, in the day of her mother’s 
insane cruelty, saved alive her brother’s infant 
son, and in the sacred recesses of the temple 
acted toward him a mother’s part, and, with her 
excellent husband, trained him up in the fear of 
the Lord. It is refreshing to turn the thoughts 
to her and her charge during these gloomy years. 
Her trials must have been severe. Her pure 
spirit must have been sorely afflicted, and we 


260 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


think she must have been relieved when the 
gloomy tragedy ended in the death of her moth¬ 
er, violent though it was, as she knew it must 
be. Of the days in which Jezebel and Athaliah 
lived we have yet more to say. 


TEE WIDOW OE ZAREPHATH. 


Baal has almost triumphed in Israel. Ahab 
is yet alive and unreformed ; Jezebel, his impi¬ 
ous consort, is still mad upon her idols; the 
prophets are prophesying lies; the priests are 
bearing rule by their means, and the people love 
to have it so. Desolating drouth and famine 
from Jehovah afflict the tribes who have wan¬ 
dered so grievously, and extend into all the sur¬ 
rounding country. Distress and death are in 
many households, and even ignorant idolaters 
begin to tremble at the displeasure of the He¬ 
brew God, though neither they nor Israel are 
prepared to propitiate him by repentance and 
obedience. 

###### 

Twilight is beginning to gather over the inhab¬ 
itants of a small town in the borders of Si don, 
and with the twilight a deeper gloom than any 
night could bring. Gaunt figures move languid¬ 
ly about; despairing tones fall sadly on the ear ; 


262 * 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


animation, vigor, joy, seem to have fled from 
every countenance ; even childhood has lost its 
“ birthright of gladness,” and moans take the 
place of songs. Nature around sympathizes with 
this universal dreariness. Not a green thing is 
to be seen. The parched, baked earth gives a 
sound under every footstep ; the rain of the 
land is powder and dust. No placid lake, no 
sparkling rill, refreshes the eye ; no murmur of 
flowing waters is heard. Men have ceased to 
look upward with hopeful glances, and the ques¬ 
tion has not been put for a long time, “ Are there 
any signs of rain ? ” Every morning the sun 
lifts his undimmed eye as if to gaze in mocking 
joy upon the scene, and sends his scorching rays 
pitilessly down through the long hours, not once 
halting in his course, nor seeking for a moment 
his pavilion of clouds ; and his parting look, as 
he sinks to his rest at night, red with his fiery 
march, but promises another morrow like this 
day, only more terrible. From the hill-sides is 
heard the sound of lowing herds and bleating 
sheep, and groups of men come slowly and sadly 
from a vain search for greener pastures and water 


THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH. 263 

wherewith to stay the thirst of their suffering 
cattle. Lord God Almighty, who can stand be¬ 
fore thy judgments ! 

As the twilight deepens, a female form is seen, 
with wan countenance and languid steps, emerging 
from a small cottage. She wanders slowly on, 
gathering dried sticks in her hand, when she is 
suddenly accosted by a stranger with the earnest 
request, “ Bring me, I pray thee, a little water 
in a vessel, that I may drink/’ The tone is one 
of distress, and she looks up to see from whom 
it comes. A man of dark, stern aspect, clothed 
in skins, with a staff in his hand, stands before 
her, evidently worn and weary with long travel, 
and suffering from want. A glance is sufficient 
to inform her whence he comes, though she has 
never before seen him. None in all that region 
can be ignorant of the minutest particulars of 
the appearance of Elijah, the terrible prophet of 
Jehovah, for whom Ahab has searched every 
kingdom and country, that he might destroy him. 
Why is he here, so far from his friends, and in 
the land of his deadliest foes ? Comes he peace¬ 
ably, or with further denunciations of vengeance 


264 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


against the followers of Baal ? She knows not 
— asks not. Moved by his need and by an un¬ 
seen influence, she returns at his request to bring 
him a portion of the precious beverage which 
still remains to her. As she is about to enter 
the house, he again addresses her. “ Bring me, 
I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.” 
This is beyond her power. She now speaks, and 
the whole story of her own woes finds utterance 
in few but expressive words. “ As the Lord 
thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful 
of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse ; 
and, behold, I am gathering two sticks that I 
may go in and dress it for me and my son, that 
we may eat it and die.”' Despair is in her tones 
and her countenance. She seems to expect no 
deliverance; but Elijah has now for her words 
of cheer. “ Fear not: go and do as thou hast 
said; but make me a little cake first, and bring 
it unto me, and after make for thee and thy son. 
For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel 
of meal shalt not waste, neither shall the cruse 
of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth 
rain upon the earth.” 


THE WIDOW OP ZAREPHATH. 


265 


The drouth still continues, and men’s hearts 
fail them, and human beings and beasts perish ; 
but, in the dwelling of the widow, comfort from 
this time reigns. Morning, noon, and night, she 
finds the handful of meal in the barrel and the 
little oil in the cruse. It does not increase. No 
quantity at any time assures her of a supply for 
days to come, or raises her above the need of 
faith. Neither does it waste, nor fail. She 
takes what she needs, and there is always a little 
still remaining. 

“So, perhaps, thou, Christian, wilt, not receive 
any superabundance of believing joyfulness, so 
'as to be enabled to shout for joy in the furnace 
of affliction ; but rest assured of the faithfulness 
of thy God, that he will uphold thy faith. This 
thy compassionate High Priest has implored for 
thee, as well as for his apostle Peter ; and he 
will daily supply thee with so much patience, by 
daily renewing it, that although thou mayest 
occasionally doubt and droop, thou shalt never 
despair or perish.” 

Two years pass, and Elijah resides with the 
widow of Zarephath in peaceful seclusion. She 
23 


266 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


attends to liis temporal wants, and he instructs 
her in the word' of the Lord. For the first time 
she now learns the truth that there is one only 
living and true God, and understands how just is 
his displeasure towards those who worship images 
their own hands have made, or the sun and the 
moon, which are his creatures. Conscience is 
awakened in her breast. She is taught his claims 
upon herself; and her own individual responsibil¬ 
ity, as one whom he has created and sustains, is 
brought to bear upon her. She is enlightened 
day by day; and when, at last, her only son 
sickens and dies, the work of conviction is com¬ 
plete. She draws immediately her own conclu¬ 
sions, and bitter indeed to her soul they are. 
Israel departs from the Lord, and dreadful famine 
is sent in punishment. She, on whom he has 
bestowed all the blessings of life, has never 
known or worshipped him ; and, though in¬ 
structed by his prophet, she has been slow to 
believe, and now her punishment has come. She 
has seen her child, her only and most precious 
one, die before her eyes. She is alone in the 
world, and to her own ingratitude and sinfulness 


THE WIDOW OF ZAREPIIATII. 


267 


she must lay her sorrow. Her whole life rises 
up before her, and seems to her still ignorant 
mind to have been just recalled to the mind of 
Jehovah. She trembles. She wishes Elijah had 
never come under her roof. She might then 
have lived on unremembered. By a most com¬ 
mon development of human nature, her goaded 
feelings find expression in reproaches against 
another, though the turmoil is within herself. 

Elijah pities from his inmost heart this friend 
who has shown so much kindness to him in his 
need, and, taking her dead child from her, goes 
to his chamber; and there transpires the scene 
which is familiar to all Bible readers, and is most 
sublime, even incomprehensible to our weak faith, 
the result of which restored to the afflicted widow 
her child and sealed her an heir of the Covenant, 
and so accomplished one end which was intended 
in his sojourn in the land of idolaters. 

The widow of Zarephath is one of six or more 
mothers mentioned in the Bible, in whose behalf 
miracles were performed, and, in every instance, 
to save the life of their children. IIow r much 
more will our heavenly Father be willing to give 


268 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


us the eternal salvation of the dear ones for whom 
we pray ! 

There are volumes of instruction in this short 
narrative. The situation of Israel during those 
years — the trial of Elijah’s faith — the career 
of Ahab and his family — the results of God’s 
dealings with this humble woman, — all draw 
forth our meditations, and are deeply interesting. 
We advise our readers to study Dr. Krummacher’s 
“ Elijah the Tishbite,” and promise them, in so 
doing, as refreshing a draught as was the cup of 
cold water the prophet received at the widow’s 
hand when he stopped at her door after his long 
walk from Cherith. 


THE SHUNAMITE. 

Jehoram, the son of Ahab, reigns in Israel. 
Elijah has gone from his earthly trials, and en¬ 
tered on the heavenly rest — not dying alone 
under the juniper tree, as he once begged he 
might, but borne triumphantly upward — his 
equipage a royal one — his convoy, angelic 
bands. His mantle has fallen on Elisha, who 
now goes up and down, strengthening weak 
hands, comforting sad hearts, instructing the 
ignorant, warning the perverse, and prophesy¬ 
ing, in the name of the Lord, of the things 
which are to come. Like one who, in the days 
of his flesh, “ went about doing good,” “hiding 
his power,” Elisha’s mission was one of mercy. 
He dealt more in loving-kindness than in re¬ 
bukes, and, unlike his stern predecessor, was 
more loved than feared. In his journeyings to 
and from the various schools of the prophets, he 
passes often through the town of Shunem, and 
forms there a pleasant and refreshing acquaint 
23 * 


270 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ance with one of the few families who still wor¬ 
ship and reverence the God of their fathers, and 
have not bowed the knee to Baal. The mistress 
of the family first invites him to make her house 
his resting-place, and at last, with the consent of 
her husband, has a separate apartment built for 
his use alone, and thus provides him a home 
under her roof, and secures his frequent pres¬ 
ence, and therewith the blessing of Jehovah. 
What can I do for her ? is Elisha’s first thought, 
as he takes possession of the comfortable “ cham¬ 
ber,” and sees its appliances, and appreciates the 
considerate kindness which prompted to this good 
deed. He sends his servant to call her, and asks 
her if he shall speak for her to the king. He 
has an interest at court. But a short time since 
he saved the lives of three kings, under God; and 
if she has any request to make, his name will 
secure its fulfilment. But she is a contented 
woman. She desires nothing that royalty can 
bestow, so she retires, leaving Elisha still in her 
debt. He appeals to his servant. What, then, 
is to be done for her, Gehazi ? Gehazi has not 
failed to notice a great lack in the otherwise de 


THE SHUNAMITE. 


271 


lightful home of this good woman. She has a 
husband on whom she leans — friends in whom 
she trusts — an abundance of this world’s goods; 
but she is, nevertheless, a lone woman; she has 
no child. No smiling babe has ever lain in her 
bosom ; no tiny hand has ever been placed con¬ 
fidingly in hers ; no tottering footsteps follow her 
as she pursues her household avocations; no 
sweet, lisping voice calls her mother; no bird¬ 
like notes make perpetual music by her hearth¬ 
stone. There is a want in her house and in her 
heart. 

“ A babe in a house is a well-spring of pleasure, — a messenger 
of peace and love; 

A resting-place for innocence on earth ; a link between angels 
and men.” 


And how sad a house is that where no such 
well-spring sends forth its sweet waters, purify¬ 
ing from selfish loves, and pouring out its tide of 
generous and holy joys ! How lonely the home 
to which the Creator sends no such messenger to 
whisper from himself a loving rebuke to hardened 
hearts, and to call forth all gentle, peace-breath- 


272 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


ing thoughts and aspirations! How weary the 
home which has no such resting-place ; where 
dwell only those who have been long conversant 
with sins and follies, and have forgotten their 
guileless days ! How far from heaven, alas ! is 
that home which has no sweet link between men 
and angels — where no cradled cherub communes 
in its smiling sleep with sister spirits, and lifts 
the heart of fond parental love involuntarily to 
the pure and blessed abode of those who day and 
night sing praises to their eternal King! 

0, sordid, selfish, earthly heart, which shrink- 
est from the care, and toil, and self-sacrifice, that 
infancy and childhood impose, and would fain go 
on thy way without such cumbrance ! how foolish 
and ignorant thou provest thyself! how misera¬ 
bly dost thou mistake in the matter of thy hap¬ 
piness ! Thou wast not made to dwell at ease, 
nor canst thou. Some care and labor God will 
surely lay on thee. How much better than all 
other, that which will reward thee sevenfold — 
which will elevate and refine, and emancipate 
thy grovelling soul! Thou wast not made to 
live alone, and if thou wilt not have the com- 


THE SHUNAN1TE. 


273 


panionship which God made thy nature to crave, 
thou shalt pine in discontent and weariness. Life 
shall often seem to thee a wilderness, though 
thou art surrounded with a thousand blessings 
and have scores of friends. Deep in thy secret 
heart ennui and distaste of all pleasures shall be 
a frequent guest; thou shalt be in want, and 
know not what thou desirest. The blessing of 
God in its fulness shall not rest on thee, because 
thou art not willing to do his work and fulfil his 
commands. 

Thou sad heart, which art by Providence de¬ 
nied the boon for which, like Hannah, thou hast 
often prayed, yield meekly to his decrees, who 
has assured thee that all things shall work for 
thy good. He hath some richer gift for thee. If 
thou walk the path of privation humbly, he will 
give thee ‘ £ a name better than of sons and 
daughters.” Himself hath spoken it. 

“ What shall we do for this Shunamite ?” says 
Elisha. “Verily she hath no child,’’ answers 
Gehazi, “ and her husband is old.” “ Call her,” 
says Elisha; and she stands in the door. “A 
few months hence thou shalt embrace a son,” is 


274 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


the astounding intelligence to which she listens, 
and for which she has no credence. “ 0, man 
of God, do not lie unto me! Too many years 
have I longed in vain for such a blessing, and 
now it cannot be. I hope no more. Do not 
wake again fond dreams in my foolish heart. 
Leave me to the forced content which has so long 
been my portion, and to the employments which 

are the solace of my lonely life.” 

# # # # # 

It was no lie which the man of God uttered: 
Years have passed since he said to his kind host¬ 
ess, “ Thou shalt embrace a son and now see 
wherever about the house, or in the court, her 
labors require her, a little boy, with busy feet 
and prattling tongue, follows on, and none but a 
mother’s heart can guess what showers of unut¬ 
tered blessings attend his every step. She stops 
to caress him, she arrays him in fitting garments, 
ties his hat under his dimpled chin, kisses him 
again and again, and bids a servant take him to 
his father in the field. With animated step and 
happy looks she pursues her work, preparing the 


THE SHUNAMITE. 


275 


meal which the laborers in that weary field, under 
the burning sun, will soon need. 

Suddenly she is summoned. The little boy is 
ill, and one has brought him back to her. She 
takes him on her lap, wipes his facp where the 
moisture stands, folds him tenderly in her arms, 
and looks anxiously upon him. He utters no 
cry, but moans, “My head! my head!” She 
bathes his fair brow, and soothes him with a 
cradle-song; but he grows no better. He suffers, 
and anguish rends her heart. He gasps and 
shudders, and his little arms relax their hold of 
her neck. Can it be ? His life has fled ! Once 
more “ she has no child.” She gazes for a mo¬ 
ment vacantly upon the lifeless form, and then, 
roused by a sudden impulse, rises and bears him 
to that consecrated chamber where she first re¬ 
ceived the promise of his life. Cannot the power 
which gave him to her recall him now ? She 
lays him on the prophet’s bed, and with one 
longing, lingering look, she calmly closes the 
door, and leaves him there. As calmly she calls 
to her husband, and begs him to send her a ser¬ 
vant and an ass, saying she wishes to go to 


276 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Elisha, and will soon return ; and when he ques¬ 
tions of the reason for this sudden determination, 
she simply answers, “It shall be well. ,, He has 
forgotten that his boy was ill, so slight seemed 
his trouble, and she does not tell him that he is 
childless. No faltering of voice, no tears, appeal 
to him for sympathy. A faith stronger than 
death has taken possession of her soul, and she 
will try its efficacy before she so grievously 
afflicts the father’s heart. 

She comes to Mount Carmel, and, as she draws 
near, Gehazi meets her, and asks, by Elisha’s 
direction, if all is well with her and her family. 
“It is well,” she answers. She has no errand 
to Gehazi — no words to waste. 

She presses on, and, hastily descending from 
the ass, throws herself upon the ground, and 
clasps Elisha’s feet, but speaks not. The man 
of God is perplexed. The friend who has been 
ever considerate and kind to him, in such trouble, 
and the cause hidden from him! At last her 
overcharged heart utters forth its bitterness. 
“Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not 
say, Do not deceive me?” He understands it 


THE SHUNAMITE. 


277 


now. “ Gird up tliy loins, Gehazi,” he says 
quickly, “ and take my staff in thy hand, and go 
thy way : if thou meet any man, salute him not; 
and if any salute thee, answer him not again: 
and lay my staff upon the face of the child.’’ 
Does Elisha think the mother will he satisfied ? 
No; her faith does not follow Gehazi. She t 
still clings to him whose words first awakened in 
her heart a mother’s hopes. He must himself go 
with her. And he will. Silently they pursue 
their way, till Gehazi meets them with the words, 

“ The child is not awaked.” They come to the 
house and enter. Death has hushed all that was 
joyous there. Elisha goes to his own room — 
the mother w T e know not whither. And while 
that sublime scene is transpiring, in which the 
human soul, already passed within the veil, is 
recalled to its earthly tabernacle, by the power 
of a mortal’s prayer, how is she employed ? We 
are not told, but something whispers in our hearts 
that perchance the mother’s faith and mother’s 
supplications took hold on the everlasting and 
Almighty arm, as truly as did those of the 
prophet. 


24 


278 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


We cannot fathom the counsels of the Al¬ 
mighty, nor give a reason why this mother, after 
enduring the pangs of separation from her child, 
should have been permitted the joy of embracing 
him again, and seeing him live on to manhood. 
“He doeth all things well,” as well when he 
, takes finally, as when he restores. His plans are 
far-reaching. He would have every one of his 
children “partake of his holiness,” and one 
method secures this result in some, which would 
not avail with others. The widow of Zarephath 
and the Shunamite “received their dead raised 
to life again,” and the prophet’s widow had a 
miracle worked in her behalf, to save her sons 
from being sold as bondmen, while multitudes 
around them endured the common lot. The only 
way of peace for the reflecting mind is to study 
the character of our God, as he is revealed in 
Jesus Christ, and then meekly to say, 

“ O Lord my God, do thou thy holy will.” 

THE SHUNAMITE. 

It was a sultry day of summer time. 

The sun poured down upon the ripened grain 
With quivering heat, and the suspended leaves 


THE SHUNAMITE. 


279 


Hung motionless. The cattle on the hills 
Stood still, and the divided flock were all 
Laying their nostrils to the cooling roots, 

And the sky looked like silver, and it seemed 
As if the air had fainted, and the pulse 
Of nature had run down, and ceased to beat. 

“ Haste thee, my child ! ” the Syrian mother said, 

“ Thy father is athirst ” — and, from the depths 
Of the cool well under the leaning tree, 

She drew refreshing water, and with thoughts 
Of God’s sweet goodness stirring at her heart, 

She blessed her beautiful boy, and to his way 
Committed him. And he went lightly on, 

With his soft hands pressed closely to the cool 
Stone vessel, and his little naked feet 
Lifted with watchful care ; and o’er the hills, 

And through the light green hollows where the lambs 
Go for the tender grass, he kept his way, 

Wiling its distance with his simple thoughts, 

Till, in the wilderness of sheaves, with brows 
Throbbing with heat, he set his burden down. 

Childhood is restless ever, and the boy 
Stayed not within the shadow of the tree, 

But with a joyous industry went forth 
Into the reapers’ places, and bound up 
His tiny sheaves, and plaited cunningly 
The pliant withs out of the shining straw — 

Cheering their labor on, till they forgot 
The heat and weariness of their stooping toil 


280 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


In the beguiling of his playful mirth. 

Presently he was silent, and his eye 
Closed as with dizzy pain, and with his hand 
Pressed hard upon his forehead, and his breast 
Heaving with the suppression of a cry, 

He uttered a faint murmur, and fell back 
Upon the loosened sheaf, insensible. 

They bore him to his mother, and he lay 
Upon her knees till noon — and then he died! 

She had watched every breath, and kept her hand 
Soft on his forehead, and gazed in upon 
The dreamy languor of his listless eye, 

And she had laid back all his sunny curls, 

And kissed his delicate lip, and lifted him 
Into her bosom, till her heart grew strong — 

His beauty was so unlike death ! She leaned 
Over him now, that she might catch the low 
Sweet music of his breath, that she had learned 
To love when he was slumbering at her side 
In his unconscious infancy — 

“ — So still! 

5 Tis a soft sleep! How beautiful he lies, 

"With his fair forehead, and the rosy veins 
Playing so freshly in his sunny cheek ! 

How could they say that he would die ? 0 God ! 

I could not lose him ! I have treasured all 
His childhood in my heart, and even now, 

As he has slept, my memory has been there, 
Counting like treasures all his winning ways — 
His unforgotten sweetness: 


THE SHUNAMITE. 


281 


“ — Yet so still! — 

How like this breathless slumber is to death ! 

I could believe that in that bosom now 
There were no pulse — it beats so languidly 
I cannot see it stir; but his red lip ! 

Death would not be so very beautiful! 

And that half smile— would death have left that there? 

— And should I not have felt that he would die ? 

And have I not wept over him ? — and prayed 
Morning and night for him ? And could he die ? 

— No— God will keep him ! He will be my pride 
Many long years to come, and his fair hair 

Will darken like his father’s, and his eye 
Be of a deeper blue when he is grown ; 

And he will be so tall, and I shall look 
With such a pride upon him ! — He to die ! ” 

And the fond mother lifted his soft curls, 

And smiled, as if’t were mockery to think 
That such fair things could perish — 

— Suddenly 

Her hand shrunk from him, and the color fled 
From her flxed lip, and her supporting knees 
Were shook beneath her child. Her hand had touched 
His forehead, as she dallied with his hair — 

And it was cold — like clay ! Slow, very slow, 

Came the misgiving that her child was dead. 

She sat a moment, and her eyes were closed 
In a dumb prayer for strength, and then she took 
His little hand and pressed it earnestly — 

And put her lip to his — and looked again 
Fearfully on him — and, then bending low, 

24 * 


282 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


She whispered in his ear, “ My son ! — my son ! ” 
And as the echo died, and not a sound 
Broke on the stillness, and he lay there still — 
Motionless on her knee — the truth would come ! 
And with a sharp, quick cry, as if her heart 
Were crushed, she lifted him and held him close 
Into her bosom — with a mother’s thought — 

As if Death had no power to touch him there ! 
###### 

The man of God came forth, and led the child 

Unto his mother, and went on his way 

And he was there — her beautiful — her own — 

Living and smiling on her— with his arms 

Folded upon her neck, and his warm breath 

Breathing upon her lips, and in her ear 

The music of his gentle voice once more! 

N. P. Willis. 


THE MOTHER OE JOB’S CHILDREN. 


The view of a prospered and happy family 
first presents itself to us, as we open the hook of 
Job. A noble father—an upright man, who 
“ fears God and eschews evil.” One who is re¬ 
vered and honored by all who know him ; before 
whom aged and young alike rise up ; in defer¬ 
ence to whose wisdom princes refrain from talk¬ 
ing, and nobles hold their peace ; whom no one 
sees without bestowing just words of praise ; 
whose voice none hear without uttering a bless¬ 
ing on the speaker. One who befriends the 
friendless, and is a father to the poor; who is 
eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame ; who 
causes the widow’s heart to sing for joy, and is 
a defender of the injured and forlorn. One whose 
smile gladdens a whole community, and who sits 
chief among them, the comforter of all that 
mourn. 

A mother and ten sons and daughters grace 
the home of this noble patriarch, and are to him 


284 


TIIE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


as the light of his eyes. The abundant blessing 
of Heaven rests upon them. The candle of the 
Lord lightens their every darkened hour, and the 
secret of God is in their dwellings. They wash 
their steps in butter, and the rock pours them 
out rivers of oil. Wealth, and station, and fair 
character among men, they have ; the approba¬ 
tion of the Almighty is theirs, and a pure faith 
sanctifies and hallows all their days. 

They live in the most delightful harmony. 
The father and mother and sisters seem to oc¬ 
cupy one home, and the brothers, with wives and 
families of their own, are settled all around, 
forming the most charming of all earthly social 
circles. We feel our hearts glow as we imagine 
their many sources of joy. The welcome and 
heartfelt satisfaction of the father and mother, as 
they come in, one after another, of an evening, 
each with an incident to contribute to the gen¬ 
eral conversation — their interests all identified 
— their hopes and fears, and perplexities and 
comforts, mutual; the animation of the sisters, 
as they prepare, from time to time, for the birth¬ 
day feasts which the brothers give in their sev 


THE MOTHER OF JOB’S CHILDREN. 285 


eral houses, and which they enjoy so much, — 
spending in each family seven days of uninter¬ 
rupted hilarity; and the closing gathering, under 
the paternal roof, when the father and priest 
sanctifies them all, and pours out his fervent 
prayers for the pardon of their sins—remember¬ 
ing even the possible transgression of their 
thoughts — and then sends them forth again with 
his blessing and love. It would be difficult to 
picture a more complete scene of earthly hap¬ 
piness. 

Earthly happiness ! There is insecurity and 
instability in the very name ! Draw out, and em¬ 
bellish, and complete the most perfect ideal of 
joy, and write under it “earthly” it is marred 
and defaced. This is the alloy which destroys 
the value of our most precious things. This is 
the drop which embitters our purest draughts. 
Heaven w T ere no longer heaven could one thought 
of change be admitted into it. 

“ 0, ye blest scenes of permanent delight! 

Fall above measure! lasting beyond bound ! 

A perpetuity of bliss is bliss. 

Could you, so rich in rapture, fear an end, 


286 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


That ghastly thought would drink up all your joy, 

And quite unparadise the realms of light.” 

The fearful wreck of happiness which came 
upon Job and his wife has become a proverb. In 
the morning they sat at their table, surrounded 
with every comfort. No thought of want or care 
oppressed them. The luxuries of wealth were 
theirs. Before night they were stripped of all, 
and unmitigated poverty laid its hand upon them. 
With the rising sun started up their numerous ser¬ 
vants, ready to fulfil with alacrity their slightest 
command. At nightfall they were forced to per¬ 
form unwonted services with their own hands, 
and, though they called, there were none to do 
their bidding. Ten loving sons and daughters 
surrounded them when they woke, full of life 
and joy—their pride and blessing ; before the 
hour of rest returned they were “ written child¬ 
less.” They had many friends; at least, so they 
thought when it was summer with them. Win¬ 
ter, desolate, dreary winter, had suddenly arrived, 
and these seeming friends had sought a kindlier 
clime. Was this all ? Surely it was enough. 
But no ; a more terrible trial awaits them. Hith- 


THE MOTHER OF JOB’S CHILDREN. 287 


erto they have stood together, and in mutual 
sorrow have been mutual helpers. Now com¬ 
mences a process which shall drain their last 
drop of peace — a weaning, an estranging pro¬ 
cess. Foul disease fastens on the father’s body, 
and a more distressing ailment possesses itself of 
the mother’s spirit. Faith and patience fail her, 
and where was love before, seems now to be only 
gall and wormwood. 

There have been those who have utterly con¬ 
demned this mother, and she has been a by-word 
and her name a scandal. Some have concluded, 
because so little is said of her, that she was 
wholly abandoned and wicked, and had be-en 
always such. They even shut her out from 
repentance, and seem not to dream of the possi¬ 
bility of reform. They consign her to death, 
and consider it no additional calamity, and thus 
allow her no share in her husband’s returning 
prosperity. For all this we find no warrant. 
That she had been a good woman, and a help¬ 
meet and friend to her husband, we feel sure, 
from his surprise at her evil advice in the hour 
of their calamity. “Thou art not like thyself.” 


288 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


“ Thou speakest as one of the foolish women 
speaketh.” 

Job is called the most patient of men. Yet 
Job forgot himself, and spoke foolishly, and re* 
proached the Almighty. Shall his wife, who 
had a part in all his griefs, and on whom the 
stroke fell more heavily, since she had a mother’s 
heart — shall she be wholly condemned ? If Job 
endured with a fortitude so remarkable as to be 
considered its embodiment through all time, shall 
his wife’s name be cast out as vile, because she 
is only like common mortals ? 

It seems to us far more rational, and in accord¬ 
ance with truth, to look upon her as one whose 
reason and faith were almost annihilated by the 
awful blow which so suddenly bereaved her ; and 
who manifested the impatience and rebellion 
against the dealings of providence, which, if we 
judge rightly, are very common among men, and 
not such an anomaly as to distinguish her among 
millions. And, since the holy record does not 
hint that Job, with his new possessions, took also 
a new wife, we love to hope that this afflicted 
mother, repentant, subdued and chastened, came 


THE MOTHER OF JOB’S CHILDREN. 


289 


forth from the furnace, as did her noble husband, 
refined and pure, and fitted to enjoy prosperity 
with a thankful heart, which retained not a ves¬ 
tige of those feelings that once prompted evil 
and impious "words. 

Wealth returned ; friends flocked to congratu¬ 
late ; brothers and sisters, long cold and unkind, 
were once more loving and true. But the long 
night did not seem surely dissipated till a daughter 
came to waken parental joys anew in the hearts 
long silent and desolate, and to unite and cement 
in fresh bonds of affection those whom wretch¬ 
edness had estranged and sundered. They called 
her Jemima — day ! 

All that they had been, they again became, 
and more. Seven sons again clustered round 
them, “and in all the land were none found so 
fair” as the three daughters who called them 
father and mother. 

Do any still think hardly of Job’s wife, let them 
place themselves in her lot, and judge if they could 
endure her trials without a murmuring word or 
a hard thought; then lay their hands upon their 
mouths, and pray earnestly to be spared the test 

25 


ELIZABETH. 


Within our hearing, as we commence to write 
this sketch, are the tones of a fond mother’s 
voice, conversing at the close of the day with 
her two young sons, of serious and weighty mat¬ 
ters. They have retired for the night, and she, 
choosing the hour when good impressions are 
easiest made, sits with a hand on each, reminding 
them of their faults, commending their good be¬ 
havior, and exerting the influence which tender 
affection gives to lead them in paths of virtue 
and uprightness. The blessing of the Eternal be 
upon her in her holy work. 

What wonderful power has God committed to 
a mother’s hands ! How exalted are her privi¬ 
leges ! who can for a moment set a true estimate 
upon the worth of her gentle counsels to her 
boys, who are soon to enter upon life’s tempta¬ 
tions and duties ? Who can calculate the results 
of her daily intercourse with her girls, who are 


ELIZABETH. 


291 


so soon to mould in their turn the plastic and im¬ 
mortal mind ? 

There have been some mothers of earth pecu¬ 
liarly favored and blest. It was a privilege to be 
the mother of Moses, of Elijah, of Samuel. It is a 
privilege to bring into the world, and train up into 
life, the intelligent, and industrious, and useful 
members of society; but she is most favored to 
whose arms is given one of those whom Jeho¬ 
vah uses to advance most rapidly his kingdom 
among men. “Let my child be an instrument 
of good to souls, let him live a life of prayer and 
communion with God, and be devoted to the Re¬ 
deemer’s cause, and I will ask nothing more,” 
says the truly Christian mother. “I will not 
seek for him earthly honor, nor wealth, nor pleas¬ 
ures. I will not even ask health, nor comfort, 
nor ease, nor exemption from severe trials. I 
will not shrink from the knowledge of sufferings 
which he may be called to endure. If so be my 
prayer for his sanctification be heard, I will be 
silent in every other matter, or only say, ‘ Thy 
will be done.’ ” 

The subject of our present study was a mother 


292 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


thus favored, and she was so blessed as to know, 
even before his birth, that her child would be 
only a comfort to her, never a source of sorrow. 
Ilis character and commission were announced 
with the tidings of his coming into the world, and 
as she dwelt in thought upon the strange com¬ 
munication, how must her heart have glowed and 
exulted at the privilege conferred upon her! 
Four hundred years before, the last of the 
prophets had foretold the coming of her son. In 
the councils of Eternity he holds a most exalted 
place. He is the day-star which heralds the sun. 
She is the wife of a priest, and versed in the 
hopes, and expectations, and prophesyings of her 
people. In the days of her youth, in common 
with many of her country-women, she had hoped 
that possibly she might give birth to this prom¬ 
ised child, or at least to his mother. But years 
passed on, and her hopes had long since faded. She 
was old, and her husband well stricken in years. 
Even the wish for sons and daughters had almost 
died, until brought back to sudden life by the 
strange words of the angel to Zacharias. Now 
she begins to feel a mother’s yearning toward the 


ELIZABETH. 


293 


life which she unconsciously nourishes, and a 
hitherto unknown gladness fills all her soul. Her 
silent husband pursues his avocations, seeming to 
her as if he ever pondered on the mysterious 
visitation in the temple, and felt still the awe 
with which the presence of Gabriel had first 
inspired him. They have been always followers 
of that which is good, walking in all the com¬ 
mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, 
and now a rich reward is ministered to them from 
his hand. 

The story of John’s birth, of the gathering of 
friends, of the restoration of Zacharias, is one 
of the most touching and beautiful in the sacred 
record. But from that time nothing more is said 
respecting his mother. Whether she lived be¬ 
yond his childhood we do not know, nor what 
part she took in the formation of the character 
which was so excellent as to draw from Jesus the 
testimony, “ Yerily, I say unto you, Among them 
that were bom of women, there hath not arisen a 
greater than John the Baptist.” We always, 
though perhaps sometimes involuntarily, gather 
our ideas of the character of the mother from 
25 * 


294 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


what we know of her children ; nor are we often 
mistaken. We think that the firm, uncompro¬ 
mising integrity of John's character, his fidelity, 
his humility, stood in most intimate relation to 
his mother’s blameless life. We admire his noble 
course, and feel sure that w T ere his mother living, it 
afforded her the satisfaction of a longed-for bless¬ 
ing, toward the attainment of which she had given 
her earnest efforts. We behold him in prison, 
regardless of his own privations, not once appeal¬ 
ing to the one mightier than himself for succor, 
but anxious only that the bridegroom should be 
recognized and honored, while he stands in the 
shade ; and instinctively we recognize a retiring, 
humble woman's influence working among the 
elements of his character. We dwell painfully 
on his lonely and sudden death, and wonder why 
he was permitted thus to leave the world without 
one word of encouragement or sympathy from 
him whom he so nobly honored ; but we seem to 
meet Elizabeth’s calm reproving eye, and are 
convinced that he had been early taught to follow 
his Lord even unto death, and to count life itself 


ELIZABETH. 


295 


worthless for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ. 

She has gone to her reward, and John worships 
with her the* Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world. We hope to meet him yet on the 
heights of Zion, and to know more than we pos¬ 
sibly can now of the life they led on earth. How 
much we have to learn! Eternity itself is not 
more far-reaching than are the sources of knowl¬ 
edge which it will lay open to us, and from 
which we thirst, even now, sorely thirst, to be 
drinking. The dealings of infinite wisdom and 
grace with each child brought home to glory, 
how intensely interesting to every other ! Would 
we might so fill every relation of life as to bring 
only honor to our Redeemer in that day when he 
shall come to be admired in his saints, and glori¬ 
fied in all them that believe. 


MARY. 


What was the early history of the mother of 
Jesus ? Who were her parents ? Where was 
her childhood passed, and under what influences ? 
What was her character ? Did anything foretell 
that she would be chosen from all the maidens 
among her people for the high honor which was 
afterward conferred upon her ? Was she pecu¬ 
liarly amiable or lovely, or devoutly pious and 
scrupulously exact in her observance of the Jew- 
isli ritual ? Question after question arises thus 
in our minds, as we contemplate this most interest¬ 
ing of all the mothers of the earth; but to none 
can we give a satisfactory reply. For reasons 
known only to Infinite Wisdom, the veil of 
obscurity is closely drawn over all that part of 
her life which is not immediately connected with 
the life of our Lord. We do not even know her 
age when she was suddenly visited by the mes¬ 
senger from the upper temple announcing her 
wonderful destiny. “ Hail, thou that art highly 


MARY. 


297 


favored ! the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou 
among women/’ Blessed and favored indeed! 
From the time that Eve exulted, “ I have gotten 
a man from the Lord,” how many hearts had 
longed and hoped for the high privilege; and even 
now, while she sits pondering upon the strange 
tidings, how many high-born mothers of her 
nation are looking on their young daughters with 
earnest desire and hope ; and how many consci¬ 
entious hearts, looking for the consolation of Israel, 
are daily studying the prophecies, if possible, to 
encourage themselves in the expectation for the 
loved ones whom they have trained with unwonted 
care for this very end ! 

Mary sits as if entranced. Has she been 
dreaming ? No. Gabriel, who stands in the 
presence of Jehovah, has truly been with her, 
and spoken to her, and his mysterious words yet 
linger in her ears. Rapidly her thoughts recall 
the promises which she has heard from her child¬ 
hood. She knows that one horn of woman is yet 
to do away the curse which the serpent brought 
upon the race. The Scriptures have been taught 
her, and a light now shines upon them unseen 


298 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


before. She recalls and dwells on every word 
the angel spoke. In her heart she again mur¬ 
murs, “ Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be 
it unto me according to thy word.” Day after 
day multitudes of thoughts come crowding upon 
her. She feels in herself already the fulfilment 
of the promise. At last, unable any longer to 
keep pent up in her own heart the joy-inspiring 
secret, she arises in haste and seeks the only 
friend who she feels can fully sympathize with her. 
What a meeting was that! Elizabeth utters her 
congratulations, and Mary’s long-restrained glad¬ 
ness finds utterance in words most exalted and 
sublime. 

“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my 
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” 

Well may she speak His praise in lofty tones, 
who has taken her into more intimate relationship 
with himself than any other of mortal race. Well 
may she rejoice in Him, the infinite Jehovah, who 
has thus condescended to distinguish her above 
all who have ever lived, or shall live after. 

“For he hath regarded the low estate of his 


MARY. 


299 


handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all 
generations shall call me blessed.” 

Eighteen hundred years have rolled by, and 
yet are the words being fulfilled. Mary, most 
happy of mothers, most blessed of thy race ! 
Exultation becomes thee well. The Magnificat is 
suited to thy lips. Meet it is that thy triumph 
song should sound.over all the mingling and deaf¬ 
ening voices of centuries, and reach even our 
ears who dwell in these ends of the earth. 

‘ 6 For he that is mighty hath done to me great 
things ; and holy is his name.” 

Great has ever been the mystery of that incar¬ 
nation. Even she, who had the witness within 
herself, that, contrary to all ordinary laws of 
nature, a new life was springing from her own, 
could only speak thus in awe and reverence of 
what she knew was truth, but which she could not 
for a moment understand. 

“ lie hath scattered the proud in the imagina¬ 
tion of their hearts. He hath put down the 
mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low 
degree. He hath filled the hungry with good 
things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.” 


300 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


Royalty coveted this boon, and presumed upon 
it. Surely the heir of David's throne should come 
in the nobler branches of David’s house. Disap¬ 
pointment waits on many an exalted family. He 
looked from his heavenly throne upon all grades 
and classes of men, and chose to make his earthly 
home with the humble and poor, the uneducated, 
the inferior. No wonder he was despised and 
rejected of men. They had not for one moment 
imagined him other than noble and aristocratic ; 
one born to rule over the lower classes, not to 
mingle among them as if he were of them. No 
marvel that “he came unto his own, and his own 
received him not.” How could they recognize in 
the carpenter’s son the Messiah of their hopes — 
the Prince who was to sit on David’s throne ? 
No wonder they looked with contempt on one 
who thus “ exalted those of low degree.” 

“ He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remem¬ 
brance of his mercy : as he spake to our fathers, 
to Abraham, and to his seed forever.” 

Sitting in Hebron, where lie the bones of the 
patriarchs, Mary sings of the fulfilment of prom¬ 
ises made two thousand years before. In that 


MARY. 


301 


cave of Machpelah, Abraham had been sleeping 
centuries. He believed, and received a son in 
his old age, the type of Him who should come 
after. Mary sits near that cave, and her faith 
has made her mother of Him whose day Abraham 
rejoiced and was glad to behold by faith. Though ' 
He tarry long, though years by thousands roll by 
between his promises and their fulfilment, Jeho¬ 
vah suffers not a jot or a tittle of his word to fall 
to the ground. He remembers his covenant, and 
will surely help his people. 

Three months of delightful intercourse have 
passed since Mary first entered Elizabeth’s house, 
and she now returns to her own. Alas ! what a 
world is this, in which sorrow treads quickly on 
the heels of joy, and clouds obscure the brightest 
sunbeams. Mary is to be mother of the only 
Son of God ; but she is herself a mortal, and 
subject to the woes and trials which wait on our 
mortal state. She is one of a sinful race, and 
the pains and penalties and vexations which sin 
has entailed she cannot escape. She has lived 
on the mount of joy and rapture — she must now 
descend into the vale of humiliation. She has 
26 


302 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


been honored by the Almighty — she must now 
be dishonored by man. A cup of pure joy and 
triumph has been given to her lips — it must be 
dashed away, and wormwood must supply its 
place. 

She returns to her home, and pursues her usual 
avocations with cheerful heart. But soon suspi¬ 
cious glances are cast upon her, and malignant 
whisperings are heard, and the friends who once 
were kind avoid her, and a chill begins to creep 
over her guileless heart. For the first time she 
realizes how questionable is her position now 
among her companions. She sees with trembling 
spirit the storm which threatens her. She looks 
anxiously upon the face of the one who is more 
to her than all others, as if to read his heart, and 
see if he also distrusts her. Why should he not ? 
Is there not cause ? Now also her spirit faints, 
remembering the fearful ordeal to which she may 
be subjected. What sustained thee in that hour, 
sad heart ? Even He who had brought the fierce 
trial upon thee. It was not long. There came 
a day when the eyes most dear, and which had 
been dimmed by grief and doubt, again met thine 


MARY. 


303 


with clear and ~ sympathizing gaze, and arms of 
lore and protection were folded about thee, and 
the sacred name of wife bestowed upon thee, and 
in the sanctuary of a husband’s home, cherished 
and revered, thou didst look up once more, and 
await the future, calm, trustful and happy. 

. The eventful night arrived which made Mary 
the mother of the Son of God. Here, again, how 
many questions a reverent curiosity would ask. 
Did the curse rest with full force on her who bore 
that spotless one ? Was he ushered into life with 
the same agonies which accompany the degenerate 
children of Adam’s race ? We doubt it not. 
Even for this he assumed our humanity, that he 
might be made in all respects like his brethren. 
An infant’s woes and weaknesses, childhood’s 
vexations, youth’s temptations, manhood’s trials. 
He omitted none. 

That birth-night ! One of our own poets has 
celebrated it in words we cannot forbear to quote 
at length: 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


LONGFELLOW’S CHRISTMAS HYMN 

It was the calm and silent night! 

Seven hundred years and fifty-three 
Had Rome been growing up to might, 

And now was queen of land and sea ! 

No sound was heard of clashing wars ; 

Peace brooded o’er the hushed domain ; 
Apollo, Pallas, Jove, and Mars, 

Held undisturbed their ancient reign, 

In the solemn midnight, 
Centuries ago ! 

’T was in the calm and silent night! 

The Senator of haughty Rome 
Impatient urged his chariot’s flight, 

From lordly revel rolling home ; 

Triumphant arches, gleaming, swell 
His breast with thoughts of boundless sway 
What recked the Roman what befell 
A paltry province far away, 

In the solemn midnight, 
Centuries ago ! 

Within that province far away, 

Went plodding home a weary boor ; 

A streak of light before him lay, 

Fallen through a half-shut stable door, 
Across his path. He paused, for naught 
Told what was going on within ; 

How keen the stars ! his only thought; 

The air how calm, and cold, and thin, 


MARY. 


305 


In the solemn midnight, 

Centuries ago! 

0, strange indifference ! —low and high 
Drowsed over common joys and cares ; 

The earth was still, but knew not why; 

The world was listening unawares ! 

How calm a moment may precede 

One that shall thrill the world forever ! 

To that still moment none would heed, 
plan’s doom was linked no more to sever, 

In the solemn midnight, 

Centuries ago ! 

It is the calm and solemn night! 

A thousand bells ring out and throw 
Their joyous peals abroad, and smite 
The darkness — charmed and holy now ! 

That night that erst no shame had worn, 

To it a happy name is given; 

For in that stable lay, new-born, 

The peaceful prince of earth and heaven, 

In the solemn midnight, 

Centuries ago! 

What were Mary's emotions on that solemn 
night, when prince and peasant pursued their ac¬ 
customed way, and the mysterious infant form 
which she had nourished beneath her heart was 
placed in her arms ? IIow did she feel when the 
26 * 


306 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


wonder-stricken shepherds demanded to see her 
child, and she found her secret had been revealed 
from above ? And when strange foreign men 
bent the knee in homage to the babe, and poured 
into her lap their rich gifts, was it more joy or 
wonder that thrilled her heart ? 

* # *= # # * 

We know little, far too little, of the theme 
which so entrances us; but there is ever one 
delightful certainty on which we can dwell. Mary 
was the only mother of a sinless child our earth 
has ever seen. Think of it, friends. From the 
hour of his birth to that in which he was slain, 
no folly, or wilfulness, or disobedience of his 
ever caused her a pang, or brought a tear to 
'her eye. He lay in his cradle, not merely an 
image of innocence, but its embodiment. As she 
folded him to her breast, no dread of the future, 
no fear of the effect of evil example, or natural 
corruption, disturbed her peace. No cry of im¬ 
patience was ever heard from that baby-mouth ; 
no burst of passion ever disfigured that sweet 
childish face. The shuddering which the first 
deliberate untruth from hitherto unsoiled lips 


MARY. 


307 


causes, she never felt. She trusted him implic¬ 
itly. He sat by her side, he followed her steps, 
he grew silently up, all that a mother's heart 
could wish. He received her instructions, and 
obeyed her commands, in the spirit of love and 
filial piety. She saw him tried by poverty and 
reproaches. She knew his high origin, and looked 
often wonderingly on him as in his meekness he 
received taunts in silence. 

Never once had she occasion to reprove him; 
and the bitterness which the parental heart feels 
when needed chastisement must be inflicted on its 
precious ones, she knew it not. 0, what a love 
was that which grew day by day for thirty years 
between that mother and son, before his work 
claimed him, and he left her side to buffet the 
world’s scorn, and be baptized with the baptism 
for which he came! Whatever may have been 
her experience with her other children, her satis¬ 
faction in her first-born son was unalloyed. 

Mary ! Hail! Thou that art highly favored! 
Blessed indeed art thou ! 

* #‘ # # # # 

Mary was present when Jesus first manifested 


308 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


his miraculous power in Cana, and again, at 
Capernaum; while he was preaching earnestly to 
the people, she sought admittance to liis pres¬ 
ence. How much she saw of him during his 
three years’ ministry we do not know ; but she 
was with him when he went his last journey to 
Jerusalem, and was among those who stood by 
the cross during his agony. Where was Joseph ? 
Where were her other sons 2 It would seem that, 
as he hung on that cross, he felt that he was his 
mother’s sole dependence, since the only words 
recorded, which relate to aught but himself, were 
those touching ones which gave her to the care 
of his most trusted disciple and friend. What a 
remembrance to carry in her heart, while she en¬ 
dured the keen inflictions of the sword which 
Simeon had prophesied for her, were those last 
words ! With the weight of a world’s sins upon 
his soul, and. amid the pangs of tortured nature, 
he was yet true to the love which had been her 
solace so many years. To the last he was faith¬ 
ful, and there w T as no disappointment in his char¬ 
acter, whatever there might be in his circum¬ 
stances. Hid she see him again after that long, 


MARY. 


309 


lingering look, at the place “ where his body was 
laid ? It is not said ; but she was among those 
who companied together after his ascension, and 
we cannot doubt, was present when his “ Peace 
be with you ! ” sent a thrill of joy to so many 
hearts. 

They are both, now, the mysterious Son and 
his favored mother, in that world where the re¬ 
lations of time are dissolved; where naught is 
valued of earth, save that which aided in bring¬ 
ing the ransomed soul to its eternal home. We 
cannot possibly know in what light Mary is there 
regarded, nor what is the nature of the bond which 
unites her to Jesus. He was her Saviour, as he 
is ours, and she rejoices in the redemption he 
wrought out, as we all shall when we too see 
him face to face, and come into his presence to 
go no more out forever. 

Mothers, let us ever bear in mind, as among 
our most effective instruments, the example of 
Mary’s child. Little ears are never more atten¬ 
tive, little eyes are never more wondering, than 
when they hear of him who never grieved his 
mother—who was never disobedient, never angry, 


310 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


never untruthful. No motive appeals so power¬ 
fully as the desire to be like him. t£ Jesus would 
not have done so.” “ Then, mother, I will not 
do it again ; I want to be like Jesus,” is, in 
some houses, an almost daily reproof and answer. 
To be like Jesus ! It is the fervent aspiration of 
the advanced Christian. How sweet to hear its 
expression from infant lips, and how earnest the 
hope that it may come to be the habitual desire 
of the soul! 


THE WIDOW OF IN'AIN. 


“Who went about doing good.” How little 
do we comprehend the meaning of the words as 
applied to him, before whose coming footsteps 
pain and suffering, and every form of earthly 
v r oe, vanished, and who left evermore behind him 
health, and vigor, and joy! Some vague impres¬ 
sion we gather as we read of his “ wonderful 
works,” but we do not comprehend the full im¬ 
port. We do not understand that it was as if a 
being from the upper sanctuary should visit our 
own town, and all the sick and suffering — the 
lame, the blind, the feeble of our own acquaint¬ 
ance— should suddenly, by his all-powerful word, 
be “healed of their infirmities,” and we should 
see them going' forth among living, acting men, 
as unconscious of sorrow as if they had never 
known its withering touch. There rose a morn¬ 
ing on some of the villages of Palestine, which 
saw only the healthy and the glad within their 
walls, for — he had “ healed their sick.” IIow 


312 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


great the change should to-morrow's sun behold 
such a sight in our town! 

Methinks I see it thus : from yonder house 
comes daily past my door, led by gentle hands, a 
blind father. In the midst of his days an inscru¬ 
table providence has shut from his view all beau¬ 
tiful and gladsome things. On the fair forms of 
wife and daughters he has been unable to gaze 
these many years; and one prattling boy often 
follows his footsteps, on whose loving, wondering, 
up-turned face he has never looked. Yesterday 
I saw him, with uncertain step, following in the 
train of that stranger whose name is on every 
lip. Can words describe the change which has 
passed on him since ? He is not at all this 
morning what he was then. With firm, manly, 
joyous tread, he crosses the threshold of his 
home, and meets the glad group who have 
watched and cared for him so long. He is no 
longer blind, dependent, helpless. Once more 
he can bear his part in maintaining his family, — 
once more he is a man among men. What a 
weary weight of woe is suddenly lifted from the 
heart of that loving wife and mother ! She has 


THE WIDOW OF NAIN. 


313 


not murmured under it. Cheerfully has she 
borne up — nobly has she performed her part, 
and far above price has her love proved itself in 
this deep trial; but now, what joy beyond ex¬ 
pression is hers ! — what blessings has the power 
of the Healer sent under that roof! 

In the opposite house lives a little girl, crip¬ 
pled from her infancy. The heart of fond parents 
is wrung daily as her halting step is heard about 
the house, and forebodingly they look into the 
future, and dread the sorrows it may bring to their 
gentle one. She has met Jesus in the way, this 
morning, and his compassionate eye and voice 
have, in a moment, set her free ; and now, behold! 
was ever exultation like hers as she skips and 
jumps, and runs to tell her mother what has been 
done for her ? Imagine, also, if you can, the 
joy of that mother’s heart — the gratitude of 
that rejoicing family ! 

In another home dwells one of pale, sorrowful 
countenance, on which consumption has stamped 
his terrible lineaments. Young, happy, sur¬ 
rounded with friends, but about to leave them 
all — fading from her husband’s sight, day by 

27 


314 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


day, as silently, but surely, as the snow-wreath 
before the sun — leaving, with such anguish in 
her heart as dying mothers alone can know, her 
precious, only child to breast, unaided, the world’s 
cold waves. A short time since I saw her thus, 
and wept that earth should furnish such a sight. 
But the Deliverer has been under her roof— the 
bloom has suddenly returned to her cheek, and 
the disappointed destroyer has unloosed his grasp. 
She steps lightly and joyously about her house¬ 
hold work — she smiles on her glad husband, 
strains, with fervent joy, her little one to her 
heart, and tears of gratitude fall from her eyes 
as she thinks of him who has restored her to life 
and hope once more. 

# # * * % # 

Our Lord healed, probably, every kind of dis 
ease known in Palestine. He had raised the 
dying from the beds they had not hoped to leave 
again. But he had not yet raised the dead. 
This, alone, was wanting to complete the evi¬ 
dences of divine power which his miracles offered. 
He walks, with his disciples, from Capernaum 
towards Nain, and as they approach the town 


THE WIDOW OF NAIN. 


315 


they meet a funeral procession. No spectacle of 
sorrow presented itself to his view and was dis¬ 
regarded. lie sees in a moment what deep 
grief is here ; — a young man is borne to his 
burial, and by his side walks his lonely* widowed 
mother. The lamp of hope and joy is for her 
extinct. She had fondly hoped this one would 
have sustained her age, and there he lies in 
death. How can she live without him ? He 
was her only cradle joy, — there is none left to 
call her mother. She cannot, cannot spare him ! 
Yet death is inexorable. None can burst his 
iron bands. She has closed his young eyes for¬ 
ever ; she must return to her home without him. 

Not so, poor mourner* He, who reads the 
heart and knows all thy distress, has a balm foi 
thee of which thou little dreamest. He, the 
Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief, pos¬ 
sesses one source of joy unknown to common 
mortals — the power to cure the woes of others. 
He, who is said to have never smiled, makes it 
his daily business to call smiles to the woe-begone 
faces that follow his steps. He, who bears the 
burden of a world’s cares and sins, is found con 


316 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


stantly lightening the cares and forgiving the 
sins of the forlorn and guilty. What peace — 
what serene satisfaction must be his, as he wit¬ 
nesses the sudden reversion of feeling in that 
widowed breast! for he can look upon the heart 
and see unveiled those emotions which are all too 
mighty for outward expression. What a balm to 
his own woes must he have in this blessed power 
to heal the manifold woes of those around him! 

The young man sat up and began to speak, 
and they delivered him to his mother. Jesus and 
his disciples went on their way. His own trial- 
hour followed shortly; but, though still possessing 
the power which had raised the dead — though 
able to refuse the cup which he had voluntarily 
taken — though able at any moment to cut short 
the agonies of crucifixion, and come down from 
the cross, he endured unto the end ; endured for 
our sakes, that he might win the power to heal 
not merely physical, but spiritual maladies ; that 
he might gain the right to raise from eternal 
death, and bestow on sinners immortal life. 0, 
would we had power to convey, by any means, 
to the mothers who will read these pages, oui 


THE WIDOW OF NAIN. 


317 


own deep sense of his presence with his tempest- 
tost children now, as truly as in the days of his 
flesh, and of his benignant, almighty love ! It is 
easy to say , 4 4 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, 
to-day and forever.” It is easy to quote all that 
has been written conveying the same idea; but to 
realize, and practically believe, and constantly 
to act upon, and be daily consoled by this truth, 
is not so often attained unto. Yet, if we will 
cherish this faith, it will increase, until our peace 
shall be like a river, and our consolation as the 
waves of the sea. 

THE WIDOW OF NAIN. 

The Roman sentinel stood helmed and tall 
Beside the gate of Nain. The busy tread 
Of comers to the city mart was done, 

For it was almost noon, and a dead heat 
Quivered upon the fine and sleeping dust, 

And the cold snake crept panting from the wall, 

And basked his scaly circles in the sun. 

Upon his spear the soldier leaned, and kept 
His idle watch, and, as his drowsy dream 
Was broken by the solitary foot 
Of some-poor mendicant, he raised his head 
To curse him for a tributary Jew, 

And slumberously dozed on. 

27 * 


318 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


’T was now high noon. 

The dull, low murmur of a funeral 
Went through the city — the sad sound of feet 
Unmixed with voices — and the sentinel 
Shook off his slumber, and gazed earnestly 
Up the wide streets, along whose paved way 
The silent throng crept slowly. They came on, 
Bearing a body heavily on its bier, 

And by the crowd that in the burning sun 
Walked with forgetful sadness, ’twas of one 
Mourned with uncommon sorrow. The broad gate 
Swung on its hinges, and the Roman bent 
His spear-point downwards as the bearers passed, 
Bending beneath their burden. There was one — 
Only one mourner. Close behind the bier, 
Crumpling the pall up in her withered hands, 
Followed an aged woman. Her short steps 
Faltered with weakness, and a broken moan 
Fell from her lips, thickened convulsively 
As her heart bled afresh. The pitying crowd 
Followed apart, but no one spoke to her. 

She had no kinsmen. She had lived alone — 

A widow with one son. He was her all — 

The' only tie she had in the wide world — 

And he was dead. They could not comfort her. 

Jesus drew near to Nain as from the gate 
The funeral came forth. His lips were pale 
With the noon’s sultry heat. The beaded sweat 
Stood thickly on his brow, and on the worn 
And simple latchets of his sandals lay, 


THE WIDOW OP NAIN. * 


319 


Thick, the white dust of travel. He had come 
Since sunrise from Capernaum, staying not 
To wet his lips by green Bethsaida’s pool, 

Nor wash his feet in Kishon’s silver springs, 

Nor turn him southward upon Tabor’s side 
To catch Gilboa’s light and spicy breeze. 

Genesareth stood cool upon the east, 

Fast by the sea of Galilee, and there 
The weary traveller might bide till eve ; 

And on the alders of Bethulia’s plains 
The grapes of Palestine hung ripe and wild; 

Yet turned he not aside, but, gazing on, 

From every swelling mount, he saw afar, 

Amid the hills, the humble spires of Nain, 

The place of his next errand ; and the path 
Touched not Bethulia, and a league away 
Upon the east lay pleasant Galilee. 

Forth from the city-gate the pitying crowd 
Followed the stricken mourner. They came near 
The place of burial, and, with straining hands, 

Closer uppn her breast she clasped the pall, 

And with a gasping sob, quick as a child’s, 

And an inquiring wildness flashing through 
The thin gray lashes of her fevered eyes, 

She came where Jesus stood beside the way. 

He looked upon her and his heart was moved. 

“ Weep not! ” he said ; and as they stayed the bier, 
And at his bidding laid it at his feet, 

He gently drew the pall from out her grasp, 

And laid it back in silence from the dead. 


320 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


With troubled wonder the mute throng drew near, 
And gazed on his calm looks. A minute’s space 
He stood and prayed. Then, taking the cold hand, 
He said, “ Arise ! ” And instantly the breast 
Heaved in its cerements, and a sudden flush 
Ran through the lines of the divided lips, 

And with a murmur of his mother’s name, 

He trembled and sat upright in his sliroud. 

And, while the mourner hung upon his neck, 

Jesus went calmly on his way to Nain 

N. P. Willis. 


THE SYROPHENICIAN MOTHER. 


The time for the third passover since onr Lord 
commenced his ministry had arrived. He was 
expected in Jerusalem; hut he went not up. He 
knew what was in store for him. “The ruling 
Jewish authorities there had definitely concluded 
to take advantage of his expected visit at this 
passover, to accomplish his destruction ; and, as 
Jesus saw that absence presented the only natu¬ 
ral means of prolonging his ministry to its due 
period, he postponed the lesser to the greater 
obligation. ” 

Nor did he even feel safe in Galilee ; for the 
fate of John might follow too earnest a scrutiny 
of his proceedings on the part of Herod and his 
evil-minded partner, who saw in him one risen 
from the dead — an object of “remorseless hate 
and secret dread/' He avoided observation, 
therefore; and finally retired entirely, from 
Herod’s dominions, to those of his brother, “ the 
lawful husband of Ilerodias, who is universally 


322 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


described as a mild, well-meaning and righteous 
prince.’ ’ 

We find him wandering as far as Tyre and 
Sidon, taking up his abode there, in the hope of 
escaping observation. How many thoughts — 
sad thoughts — must have crowded on his mind 
as he gazed on the ruins everywhere presented to 
his eye! This was that Tyre which once sat a 
queen among cities ; which, in her pride, had 
said, “I am of perfect beautywhose merchants 
dealt in “ emeralds, and purple, and broidered 
work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate, and 
pearls;” of which “the ships of Tarshish did 
sing in the market;” which was ‘ c glorious in 
the midst of the seas.” How fallen now! The 
noise of her songs hushed forever! the sound of 
her harps heard no more ! Her walls broken 
down! her pleasant houses destroyed! her 
stones, and timber, and dust, carried into the 
midst of the waters ! No vestige of her former 
magnificence remained. A. miserable collection 
of huts was her representative. Among these 
ruins Jesus walked, wishing, for a time, to be 
hidden and unknown. 


THE SYROPIIENICIAN MOTHER 


323 


But this could not be. Multitudes from this 
region had attended on his preaching, had heard 
his sermon on the mount, and been witnesses of 
his mighty works. He was recognized ; and it 
was soon whispered round that he, to whose 
gracious words they had listened with delight, 
was come among them. The tidings reached the 
ears of an afflicted mother, who had seen some 
of his healing miracles, or heard of them through 
her friends. She waited not for counsel, nor 
stopped to consider what obstacles might prevent 
the fulfilment of her wishes. She sought the 
house where he abode. She hesitated not; but 
instantly, and without invitation, presented her¬ 
self before him. ITis disciples, burning with the 
hatred wdiich every Jew cherished toward the 
Gentiles, were indignant that she should dare 
come to him, and regarded her with undisguised 
malignity. She heeded them not. Their angry 
countenances could not deter her. Casting her¬ 
self upon the ground before him, in the deepest 
humility, with agonizing earnestness she cries, 
“ Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, thou son of 
David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a 


324 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


devil.’* It was the cry of suffering to him whose 
mercies fail not; hut it seemed to fall on deaf 
ears. “ He answered her not a word.” How 7 
strange ! How unlike him who went about doing 
good, who seemed always to delight in dispens¬ 
ing the blessings of healing and strength to all 
that came to him! For the first time, he is .re¬ 
gardless of the cry of distressed humanity. 

The disciples are gratified to see this heathen 
woman so slighted ; but they are not satisfied. 
“Send her away!” they beg. They wish to 
have her rebuked as well as slighted ; and Jesus 
seems to approve their spirit, for he replies to her 
renewed entreaties, “ I am not sent, but ujito 
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Can it be 
true ? Have her hopes been raised in vain ? Is 
he, who has seemed so benevolent, so far above 
human prejudices, so sympathizing and tender-' 
hearted, — is he indeed governed by the narrow 
views of those who deem themselves the only 
favorites of Heaven, and cast out all others as 
unclean ? It cannot be. She cannot believe it. 
She draws still nearer, and prostrates herself still 
lower, and, in accents which mingle the most 


THE SYROPHENICIAN MOTHER. 


325 


earnest faith with deepest distress, entreats, 
“Lord, help me.” Coldly and sternly, appar¬ 
ently all unmoved, he answers, “ It is not meet 
to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs." 

The disciples are now happy. She has heard 
the truth for once ; she will go now, and they 
will be troubled no more by these Sidonians ; 
and they exult as if a great victory had been 
gained. How does she feel, that afflicted 
mother ? We look to see her rise suddenly, 
with flushed face and haughty mien, and, walk¬ 
ing quickly away, wounded pride and anger 
overcoming all thought of the errand on which 
she came. Will she be called a dog ? Will she 
endure to be told that the Creator regards her so 
far beneath those w 7 ho walk the same earth and 
breathe the same air as herself? This same 
Jesus has not hesitated, before this, to lay his 
hand on the loathsome leper, and to heal the 
most degraded among his own people, — will she 
bear to be told that her precious child is beneath 
his notice, and must perish like a beast, and be 
regarded as such ? Will she take meekly the 
sneering triumph of those hard-hearted men? 

28 


326 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


No; she has trusted, and prayed, and been dis¬ 
regarded. Worse than this; she has been 
taunted, and her best affections trampled on. 
She will return to her daughter, and in silence 
and despair endure as best she may. 

Thus we judge. Thus w r e think ive should do. 
But she possesses a faith and a humility far be¬ 
yond our conception. We are wholly wrong. 
No resentment kindles in her eye. No anger 
flushes her cheek. No sharpness is in her tone. 
Accepting instantly the place assigned her, and 
laying no claim to any privileges beyond, she 
even gathers hope from what seems to us so irri¬ 
tating and harsh, and instantly answers, meekly 
and trustingly, “Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat 
of the crumbs which fall from their master’s 
table.” 

His end is answered. lie had read her heart, 
and knew what love and faith were there, and he 
has brought them forth. His assumed sternness 
is laid aside, and from the depths of his loving 
heart he answers, “ 0 woman, great is thy faith ! 
be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”, 

Study this scene, ye faithless parents ! Pon- 


THE SYROPIIENICIAN WOMAN. 


327 


der it deeply, until you imbibe its spirit, until 
you feel its power. Jesus is evermore the same ; 
such humility, such faith will always prevail with 
him. 

Dwell upon this narrative, also, ye bigoted.fol¬ 
lowers of him who was meek and lowly, and 
behold how he distinguishes the character of his 
own children under every guise, and learn to 
judge cautiously. He may love with an infinite 
love, those whom ye scorn. 


THE GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER OP 
TIMOTHY. 

The types and shadows have passed away. 
The Antitype has appeared and accomplished his 
earthly work, and ascended his mediatorial throne. 
The old dispensation has given place to the sim¬ 
pler rites of the new. Faith is substituted for 
the deeds of the law, and, in place of peculiar 
privileges granted to a few, universal love and 
good-will are proclaimed to all mankind. “ Go 
ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to 
every creature,” was the last command of their 
Lord, and his disciples are already working zeal¬ 
ously for its fulfilment. They are to publish the 
good tidings first to the Jews in every place, 
and then to the Gentiles, for he will have all men 
come to .the knowledge of the truth. Paul and 
Barnabas have set out on their first missionary 
tour, and the promised Spirit accompanies and 
crowns their labors. 


GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER OP TIMOTHY. 329 


In the small town of Lystra, not far from Ico- 
nium, dwelt, in the days of the apostles, a 
family in whom we find ourselves extremely in¬ 
terested. The father was a Greek; the mother 
a Jewess. They had one son; a boy, not of 
robust health and strong constitution, but subject 
to many infirmities; yet of so amiable a dispo¬ 
sition, and such excellence of character, as to 
win the esteem and love of all w T ho knew him. 

So far as w^e can ascertain, there was no syna¬ 
gogue in Lystra, most of the inhabitants being 
worshippers of Jupiter. This family was, con¬ 
sequently, deprived of the privilege of public 
worship, and the boy grew up, not only without 
the hallowing influences of the sanctuary, but in 
an atmosphere quite adverse to the spirit of true 
godliness, and surrounded with degrading and 
debasing examples. But he was not left without 
religious culture. His grandmother — who also 
lived'with them — and his mother, were his in¬ 
structors in the sacred lore of their people. Al¬ 
though far from their native land, and deprived 
of sympathy and companionship, and surrounded 
by idolaters, these devoted women never forgot 
28 * 


330 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


their God, nor departed from their faith. Nor 
did they neglect the duty enjoined on all Jewish 
parents by the express command of Jehovah. 

“ And these words which I command thee this 
day shall be in thine heart: 

c c And thou shalt teach them diligently unto 
thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou 
sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by 
the way, and when thou liest down, and when 
thou risest up.” 

Whether they had in their possession a copy 
of the books of Moses, and of the prophets, and 
of the psalms, or whether they spoke only from 
remembrance of what had been taught them in 
their childhood, we do not know ; but it is cer¬ 
tain that this child of their love was thoroughly 
instructed in all these scriptures. From the story 
of the creation on through all the scenes of Jew¬ 
ish history, nothing was omitted which could 
interest or benefit their pupil. The sublime 
prophesyings of Isaiah — the mournful lament of 
Jeremiah — the example of Daniel and his com¬ 
panions — the sweet strains of the psalmist — all 
were familiar to him from his earliest years. But 


GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER OE TIMOTHY. 331 


especially was he instructed with regard to His 
coming who was to redeem Israel. The great 
prophet of whom Moses spoke — who was shad¬ 
owed forth in every mysterious rite and sacrifice 
of their religion — who was the theme of poet 
and sage ; and the object of faith to every son 
and daughter of Abraham. 

Thus was young Timothy, by his knowledge 
of holy truth, kept from contamination, and pre¬ 
served in uprightness, and prepared to become a 
laborious and faithful preacher of righteousness, 
and an example to youth, for all coming time. 
***** 

In their journeyings, Paul and Barnabas have 
reached Lystra. They find, as we have said, no 
synagogue there, and, consequently, are com¬ 
pelled to deliver their message wherever they 
can find a suitable place, and the inhabitants at 
large flock to hear them. Walking one day 
through the streets, followed, it may be, by a 
crowd, Paul sees, sitting by the way-side, a crip¬ 
ple, impotent from his mother’s womb, who has 
never walked. Filled with the sympathy which 
his Master felt before him, and seeing the man 


332 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


interested, he speaks with a loud voice, and says, 
“ Stand upright on thy feet.” Receiving in¬ 
stantly strength from above, the poor sufferer 
joyfully obeys, and is seen leaping and walking 
in the delight of new-found faculties. The mul¬ 
titudes look on with astonishment, and soon the 
cry is heard, “ The gods are come down to us in 
the likeness of men.” Barnabas they call Jupi¬ 
ter, and Paul, Mercurius; and immediately prep¬ 
arations are made to do them homage. This is 
soon prevented by Paul, who tells them of the 
only living and true God, and persuades them to 
desist. Soon after this, certain evil-minded Jews 
appear from Antioch and Iconium, who work 
upon the fickle people of Lystra, until they drag 
him whom they would have -worshipped out of 
the city, and stone him, and leave him, as they 
suppose, dead. Around his bruised body stand 
many who have heard the Gospel from his lips, 
and among them young Timothy. On his heart, 
so well prepared, the story of Jesus has had its 
full effect. For the first time the Scriptures, in 
which he is so well versed, appear perfectly clear 
to his mind. A new light shines upon them, 


GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER OF TIMOTHY. 333 


He embraces tlie crucified Messiah in unfeigned 
faith, and becomes a most useful helper to Paul 
— who, as we know, revived, and returned to his 
work — and his dearly beloved son in the Gospel 

A recent missionary traveller thus speaks of 
his feelings on approaching what he supposed to 
be the site of Lystra. 

“Full of the impression that we were now 
near the birth-place of Timothy , we bent our 
course more westerly, through a narrow, but fer¬ 
tile and most lovely ravine. The pebbly brook, 
which gave fertility to the vale, was overhung 
by trees of a larger growth—walnut, poplar, and 
so on—than we had been accustomed to see on 
our journey. Vineyards, gardens, and small 
orchards of fruit-trees were planted in conve¬ 
nient nooks by the way. A rich fragrance was 
exhaled from the wild flowers that besprinkled 
the ground, and only the murmuring of the brook 
and the music of here and there a feathered 
songster interrupted the stillness which pre¬ 
vailed. Along these quiet paths, I said within 
myself, oft trod that beloved youthful disciple, 
Timothy! Beneath such shades he repeated, 


334 


THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE. 


perhaps, the songs of Israel, before he learned 
from the apostle Paul of the name of Jesus. 
Perhaps he was inured to hardship by labor in 
these very fields; or, more probably, he may 
have passed to and from Iconium with burdens 
of wood and returns of merchandise, as those 
who dwell here now do. Precious saint! thy 
memory breathes a richer perfume than the 
flowers of thy native vales. Through the long 
tract of ages, thy early knowledge of the holy 
scriptures, thy rigid temperance, thy early. wis¬ 
dom, thy youthful piety, thy useful labors, thy 
name of good report, thy apostolic ministry, 
have come down, with refreshing and stimulating 
influence, to the youth of our own and of all 
coming times. And, ye excellent and revered 
£ mother Eunice and grandmother Lois,' so hon¬ 
orably mentioned by an apostle, your example 
shall live while the sun and moon endure, as an 
encouragement to timely and faithful parental 
instruction.” 

It seems fitting that we should close our work 
with this delightful illustration of the results of 


GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER OF TIMOTHY. 335 


maternal faithfulness, in early imbuing the heart 
of childhood with the truths of the Bible. Sow 
thickly the good seed of the word, and water it 
abundantly. It shall surely bring forth fruit in 
w T hich you will rejoice. It is God himself who 
has commanded it, and he is all-wise and knows 
the best means to any sought-for end. lie, 
moreover, has promised “My word shall not 
return unto me void/’ May his blessing rest 
upon all endeavors to make it more interesting 
and precious to his children, and upon all their 
labors among the objects of their love and care. 



• v ■ 7 $4$ 







% 





























































































